Sadbhawana Party leader Rajendra Mahato said on Tuesday that the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) was for amending the constitution, not for rewriting it. 

Mahato’s remarks come at a time when Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal Chairman Upendra Yadav has been demanding that the constitution should be rewritten to address the demands raised by some sections of the society.

Both Mahato and Yadav’s parties are part of the SLMM, which is an alliance of seven Madhes-based forces that are protesting against the constitution. 

“Our demand is amendment to some of the provisions of the constitution,” Mahato said at Reporters’ Club. “We, Madhesi Morcha, have never called for rewriting the constitution.” Yadav, on the other hand, has long been saying that the Morcha would not sit for talks with the government until the latter agreed to rewrite the constitution. Though the Morcha did not attend the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Mahato said the letter sent by PM was a “positive move”. “We will respond to the PM after holding an internal meeting of the Morcha,” said Mahato. “We will make our position clear very soon.”

Mahato is one of the leaders not happy with Yadav’s initiative to form an alliance between Madhesi and Janajati forces. “Most of us were not here when Yadav formed the [Sanghiya Gathabandhan],” he said, criticising Yadav for assuming the Gathabandhan’s leadership.