Five dissident leaders of the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) have quit the party to forge a political alliance with the CPN-UML.

Former minister and one of the RJP-N presidium members Hridayesh Tripathi, BK Gupta, Pashupati Dayal Mishra, Ishwor Dayal Mishra and Jagdish Shukla have announced the formation of an independent group.

According to a joint statement issued by the UML general secretary and the RJP-N dissidents on Monday, the independent leaders and activists have announced that they would contest the upcoming provincial and federal parliamentary elections with the UML’s election symbol.

However, the leaders have not joined the UML.

It is learnt, if the leaders get elected, they will have to work under the CPN-UML’s whip for the next five years.

“It is our collective responsibility to ensure justice, equality and prosperity for the people of Tarai Madhes by ending exploitation, oppression and discrimination. Therefore, we have agreed to collaborate for the economic development and social justice to all Nepali citizens and amend constitution as per the necessity of the situation and time,” the statement read.

Six Madhes-based parties had merged to form the RJP-N on April 20, 2017. The six parties include Mahantha Thakur-led Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, Rajendra Mahato-led Sadbhawana Party, Sharat Singh Bhandari-led Rastriya Madhes Samajbadi Party, Mahendra Yadav-led Tarai Madhes Sadbhawana Party and Rajkishor Yadav-led Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Ganatantrik and Anil Jha-led Nepal Sadbhawana Party.

Ruling out suggestions of legal issues in such an arrangement, UML Spokesperson Yogesh Bhattarai said: “The Election Law allows two or more parties to contest in the election using common symbol. We will notify about the decision to the Election Commission soon.” 

Though the Tripathi-led group will be having independent status, Bhattarai clarified, their equation in Parliament will come under the UML umbrella. 

“There might be some leverage to the alliance contesting elections under UML’s symbol, but their core issues and stands will remain as that of UML,” the UML leader said, adding that the party would soon prepare a modality of working procedure in 

this regard.