The long-running internal row has stocked fears among Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal leaders that it could affect the scheduled unity national convention. After several postponments, the party has fixed the national convention for April 19-22 next year.

The dispute has reached new levels of hatred, with one faction resorting to burning the effigy of party chief Rajendra Mahato after four of the six RJP-N presidium leaders decided to rotate the coordinatorship on November 20.

The six fringe Madhes-based parties had merged to form the RJP-N in July last year, with Mahantha Thakur as its head.

The meeting also decided to authenticate the list of the party’s central committee, which was submitted to the Election Commission while registering the unified party. The dispute has since trickled down to the district level. Dozens of office bearers were inducted to the central committee by the six leaders in the presidium from their previous parties.

After several failed attempts, Mahato has convened the presidium only once since he took charge of the party’s helm on November 21. The first meeting chaired by Mahato held on December 26 was boycotted by Anil Jha, one of the six leaders.

Leaders close to Mahantha Thakur and Jha have stayed away from the meeting, claiming that its decision to rotate the presidium leadership every two months violated a provision of the party statute. Despite the statutory provision of unanimous decision, the presidium had decided on the matter on a majority basis.

The disgruntled group has been lobbying for a national convention organizing committee under Thakur.

After the party decided to replace Dev Krishna Mandal with Gyanendra Jha as a member of the six-member Dhanusha district presidium, the dissident group on Friday resorted to burning effigy of coordinator Mahato, thus bringing the conflict to the surface.

Claiming that the effigy was burnt in a ‘grand design’ of party’s Provincial Chief Whip Parmeswor Sah, the disgruntled faction has demanded the party take action against Sah.

“Such activities are gradually weakening the party, affecting its focus on preparations for the national convention,” said Surendra Jha, a joint general secretary of the party.

With hardly any preparations being made so far, the leaders harbour doubts that the party’s jamboree could take place on the stipulated date.

“Things will be settled once the leaders agree on a single leadership,” said General Secretary Chanda Chaudhary. The latest meeting of the party’s political committee had decided to have a single leadership, claiming that the presidium system had affected party’s development.