The Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) has formed a three-member taskforce to hold consultations with the representatives of the three major parties to forge a common position on contentious issues, including revision of boundaries. 

The Morcha’s internal meeting on Tuesday appointed Hridayesh Tripathi of the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Rajendra Shrestha of Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal and Ram Naresh Raya, senior leader of the Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party as taskforce members. 

The Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party, one of Morcha’s key allies which has decided to stay out of negotiations with major parties, refused to join the taskforce. Sadbhawana Party leaders have said that the party will sit for talks only after the government apologises for the Biratnagar incident on December 26 in which Mahato was allegedly assaulted by security forces. 

On Sunday, three major parties had proposed an informal taskforce to narrow down differences. 

Mahesh Acharya of the Nepali Congress, Bhim Rawal of the CPN-UML and Krishna Bahadur Mahara of the UCPN (Maoist) are in the taskforce from major parties.

Redrawing provincial boundaries is among the 11-point demand put forth by the SLMM. The Madhes-based parties have also called for retaining the Interim Constitution provisions on electoral laws, citizenship laws and proportional and inclusive representation. 

“The negotiations, however, will start only after the taskforce formed by the major parties put forward a clear position on our demands, including redrawing of boundaries,” said SSF-N Co-Chair Shrestha. 

The major forces have proposed a cross-party mechanism to sort out boundary issues in three months.

TMLP Chairman Mahantha Thakur said that they have no objection to timeline for revising federal boundaries as long as major parties are ready to make assurances. “The major parties should clearly state ‘how far they can go in the East and the West’,” he said. 

The SLMM has insisted that Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari in the East and Kailali and Kanchanpur in the West should be categorised as “disputed districts” and that they should be realigned accordingly. Jhapa, Morang and Sunsari are in State No 1 and Kailali and Kanchanpur are in State No 7 in current federal set-up.