Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar-led Nepal Loktantrik Forum (NLF) has merged with the Nepali Congress amid a special ceremony held at Prime Minister’s residence in Baluwatar on Monday.

The parties were supposed to announce their merger at a press conference at Baluwatar on Sunday evening, but the function was postponed due to some technical reasons. 

According to informed sources, Gachhadar will be given the post of party vice president or general secretary under the nominated quota, while other 20 top NLF leaders will be allotted a seat in the NC Central Working Committee with some others assured of positions in various NC departments.  

The latest alliance between the Upendra Yadav-led Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum and the Rastirya Janata Party Nepal had put pressure on NLF (D) to join the alliance led by the NC.  

A former Congress leader, Gachhadar had won elections in 1991, 1994 and 1999 under the NC banner. He joined Madhesi Janadhikar Forum led by Upendra Yadav in 2008 after being expelled by the NC. 

He won the 2008 Constitution Assembly Election with the MJF. But he fell out with Yadav a year later and formed his own party—Nepal Loktantrik Forum (Democratic). Gachhadar won the 2013 Constitution Assembly Election from Sunsari-3 representing the NLF. 

Meanwhile, a faction of NLF led by Co-chair Shivalal Thapa has decided not to be part of the merger deal. Thapa’s Rastriya Janamukti Party (Loktantrik) had earlier merged with Gachhadar’s Forum Loktantrik.  Most of the party leaders, who joined the Forum Loktantrik six months ago, are against the unification with the Congress. 

NC leader Ramchandra Poudel, among other leaders, and the party cadres were present during unification programme.