Sawai Dev Ojha – Will it really happen?

Madhesi parties to send names by today http://www.kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=199914
Kamal Raj Sigdel

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas , June 19 - Top guns of the three Madhesi parties toiled dawn till dusk on Thursday to pick ministers to be inducted in the UML-led Cabinet, but failed to reach a decision. While Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party (TMLP) and Sadbhavana Party-Anandidevi (SP-A) narrowed down differences after hours of negotiations, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (MJF) appeared to be in complete disarray.

All three parties, however, said they would send their respective lists by Friday. For Deputy Prime Minister Bijay Kumar Gachhadar, who leads a splinter group of MJF, selecting his ministerial candidates appears to be a tough job for the simple reason: Most of his supporters are still volatile.

"There are chances that Gachhadar may lose his lawmakers if he fails to take a consensus decision and appease all aspirants," according to an MJF leader. Gachhadar appears to be in a critical state with his claim on MJF leadership at the Election Commission (EC) falling short by just two signatures of the party's Central Committee members. He has already submitted signatures of 16 of the 35 CC members at the EC.

In a meeting with his lawmakers, Gachhadar received more rebuff than support for his proposed list of ministers: Mrigendra Singh Yadav (Agriculture and Cooperatives), Sawai Dev Ojha (Women, Children and Social Welfare), Sarat Singh Bhandari (Tourism and Civil Aviation). Jitendra Dev, Asha Chaturvedi and Karima Begam were also figured in his list.

MJF has demanded five ministries and four state ministries. According to sources, Gachhadar is likely to offer one post to "newcomer" R.C. Yadav, who defected from Upendra Yadav's faction.

Internal differences notwithstan-ding, Gachhadar is all set to dispatch a final list of at least nine ministers to Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal by Friday noon. "The Central Commi-ttee and Parliamentary Party of our faction have given me responsibility and I will deliver by tomorrow," Gachhadar told reporters on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a marathon meeting of TMLP Central Committee and Parliamentary Party decided to authorise Chairman Mahantha Thakur to select the party's candidates. According to the party's senior advisor Dr. Brikesh Chandra Laal, TMLP lawmakers have urged the party chairman to consider two main criteria: inclusiveness in the team and capacity of the chosen leaders to push the Madhesi agenda in the Cabinet.