Democratic Samajbadi Party (DSP) Chairperson Mahantha Thakurhas said that it is a compulsion for his party to forge electoral alliances with various parties in the November 20 elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly. Thakur said this while addressing the party's election manifesto unveiling program in Jaleshwor, the headquarters of Mahottari district, on Sunday. "The collaboration with various big parties in the elections is for further empowering the Madhesi people," he said, adding that the party had to forge electoral alliances to fulfil the voices raised in the course of the Madhes movement and to impart justice to the Madhes.

"We need to have our friends who are languishing in jail released and the trumped-up political charges against them revoked. We also need to address the pending issues of citizenship and constitution amendment. At the same time, we need to secure the rights for the Madhesi people," the DSP Chairman said.

Responding to journalists' queries, Thakur said the Democratic Samajbadi Party is capable enough of securing the rights for the Madhesi people and addressing their problems. The party has expressed its commitment through the election manifesto to guaranteeing the rights and interests of the Madhes and Madhesis, including citizenship, education and health as well as protecting democracy, establishing federalism with identity, continuity of the parliamentary system, building a concrete and pragmatic foreign policy in the national interest and a society based on good governance, integrity and free from corruption. The DSP's election manifesto also emphasizes on women empowerment, youth empowerment and building a robust national economy. Party leaders Sarat Singh Bhandari, Anil Kumar Jha and Umakanta Jha jointly unveiled the party's election manifesto on the occasion.