Kathmandu, October 16
The Nepal Democratic Forum led by Deputy Prime Minister Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar has been merged with the Nepali Congress party on Monday.
Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Gachhadar signed the agreement to unify the parties amidst a function organised at the PM’s official residence in Baluwatar today.
In the agreement, the two leaders have agreed to work together to strengthen democratic institutions and amend the constitution for it. The Congress has agreed to raise issues about rights of Madheshis, Tharus, Muslims and Janajatis that the Forum was advocating for.
They have also agreed that all sister organisations and lower committees of two parties will also go into the merger.
Meanwhile, Gachhadar at the function said a democratic alliance would be formed under the Nepali Congress leadership now so that the communist alliance would not get majority votes in upcoming elections.
He added that protests launched by some leaders of his erstwhile party would not be a concern for him anymore.
The dissident leaders of Forum, however, have said they will launch a legal struggle to retain the existence of party.
