Rajendra Mahato
Rajendra Mahato is a Nepalese politician, who had been serving as the Deputy [Prime Minister of Nepal|Deputy Prime Minister] and Minister for Urban Development since 4 June 2021 but was removed from the post by the Supreme Court on 22 June 2021, making his tenure of just 18 days the shortest till date. He was the parliamentary party leader of the People's Socialist Party, Nepal although the status matter of conflict within the party.
Though weak today due to continuous party change, he once was a well known leader of Terai-Madhesh based political alliance. Mahato contested election from Sarlahi 2 where he lost with Mahindra Ray Yadav of Maoist Centre. He has previously contested the election from Sarlahi and Dhanusha where his party could win no local level head position and got clean swept in recent election.
Political career
Mahato began his political career in 1990. In the 1994 parliamentary elections, he contested from Sarlahi 2 as a candidate of the Nepal Sadbhavana Party finishing second with 10,173 votes. In the 1999 elections, he won the seat with 14,750 votes, defeating former Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party.In 2007, Mahato split from the Nepal Sadbhavana Party (Anandidevi) and formed his own party which he later named the Sadbhavana Party. Over the years, he joined several parties including the Rastriya Janata Party, Janata Samajbadi Party and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party.
In April 2008, Mahato was elected from Sarlahi 4 in the Constituent Assembly election. However, he lost the seat in the 2013 election to Mahendra Rai Yadav of the Terai Madhesh Sadbhavana Party. Under proportional representation, his wife Sahil Devi Mahato was nominated to the Assembly.
Mahato has been a prominent advocate for Madhesi rights, expressing opposition to provisions in Nepal’s draft constitution that he viewed as discriminatory against the Madhesi community.