Around five dozen Nepali Congress lawmakers have warned the party leadership of individually tabling amendment proposals against some of the provisions of the proposed constitution, including the issue of state delineation.

The lawmakers also suggested to halt the statute drafting process to concentrate on dialogues with agitating parties.

At a Parliamentary Party meeting of the Nepali Congress on Wednesday, Bimalendra Nidhi, Surendra Chaudhary, Farmullha Mansur, Ram Krishna Yadav and Padma Narayan Chaudhary, among others, urged the top brass to fulfill the five-point demand put forth by them.

Fifty-eight NC lawmakers had recently submitted a five-point demand for two provinces in Tarai-Madhes by incorporating the Tharu belt, finalising electoral constituencies according to the size of the population and equal representation of various communities in state entities, among others.

Earlier, the NC had strictly warned its lawmakers not to table separate amendment proposals in the proposed draft of the new constitution.

Lawmakers also warned against promulgating the new constitution without addressing the demands of the Tharus and Madhesis. The party leadership was criticised for taking ‘hostile measures’ while resolving the standoff in the southern plains.

Yadav was of the view that a majority of the leaders, including those representing Madhes, were in favour of holding dialogues in a ‘flexible manner’ to resolve the Tharuhat-Madhes agitation.

Lawmaker Gagan Thapa saw two schools of thought prevailing within the party. “One faction wants to halt the constitution drafting process while the other prefers to promulgate the constitution as soon as possible,” he said.

Thapa suggested on collecting amendment proposals raised by various stakeholders including the Madhesis and Tharus before tabling them at the Constituent Assembly. “Let us also drop the demarcation of provinces for now and seek another six months to resolve it. The CA should not be dissolved, though.”

Other lawmakers, including Shekhar Koirala and Arjun Narsingh KC, also urged the party leadership to resolve the demands of the Tharus and Madeshis early.