Differences deepen within NSP-A, Minister Mahato not to step down
Differences within the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (NSP-Anandidevi) has deepened after its Minister decided not to step down despite a letter recalling him was submitted by its president Anandidevi Singh to Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on Monday.
Rajendra Mahato, Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, has said he will not resign just because of that letter. "I joined the cabinet as per the party decision. I will step down only after the party makes another decision," he said.
Subsequently, on Monday evening, Mahato, who is a vice president of the party, called the meeting of the central executive committee in which senior party vice president Laxman Lal Karna, another vice president Ram Narayan Yadav, general secretary duo Shyam Sundar Gupta and Anil Jha attended. Following the meeting, party spokesperson Sarita Giri issued a statement deploring the move to 'recall' Minister Mahato. The statement states that the move was aimed at weakening eight party unity and derailing Constituent Assembly elections.
Earlier, NSP-A leaders Bharat Bimal Yadav, Hridayesh Tripathi, Khusilal Mandal and Gobinda Tharu had accompanied Anandidevi Singh to the Prime Minister's residence where Singh handed over the letter 'recalling' Minister Mahato. At the meeting, PM Koirala is learnt to have asked the NSP-A leadership to resolve differences within their party.
Meanwhile, Tripathi has said that since Mahato was appointed as Minister by the PM based on similar letter by party president Singh, there is no reason why he should not resign based on another similar letter recalling him from the cabinet.
On the other hand, party spokesperson Giri – who is currently close to Mahato faction – said that the decision to recall Mahato is 'totally wrong and was never decided by the party.'
"We were taken completely by surprise when we learnt of such a letter tendered to the Prime Minister," Giri said. nepalnews.com sd Aug 07 07
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