The Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal (SSF-N) and the Naya Shakti Party-Nepal have strongly opposed the discussions on keeping the existing 240 constituencies in the country.

The discussions on continuing with the existing 240 constituencies were floated by Nepali Congress leaders, claiming that making changes in the constituencies could trigger further conflicts when the Madhesi and Janajati forces have been struggling against the constitution.

However, the proposal has drawn a widespread criticism. 

Issuing a press statement on Sunday, SSF-N Chair Upendra Yadav and Naya Shakti Coordinator Baburam Bhattarai demanded that the ruling coalition form a Constituency Delimitation Commission (CDC) at the earliest and begin works to downsize the existing 240 constituencies to 165 for the provincial and the federal elections.

As the nation has already witnessed the state restructuring and local level polls, elections held in the old structure would adversely affect the status of country’s federal republican set-up, the two leaders said.

Calling on the government to hold talks with the concerned stakeholders to resolve the issue of constitution amendment, they have warned that delay in resolving the issue of constitutional amendment could trigger a serious political crisis.