SUSHIL KOIRALA GOING TO NEW YORL Kathmandu, 25 June: NC President Sushil Koirla leavies for New York Thursday for medical treatment, party sources said. Koirala underwent treatment for tongue cancer at a hospital there three years ago. He is scheduled to visit Germany en route home after treatment. Nnnn LOCAL BODIES REOPEN AFTER TWO-DAY CLCOSURE Kathmandu, 25 June: Officials called off their protests Tuesday after a lock-up of VCS, district and municipal corporation offices dressing two dozen demands. There was a 11-poit agreement before the protests were called off. nnnn CAPITAL MORNING TEMPERATURE 23 DEGREES CELSIUS Kathmandu, 25 June: Tuesday morning’s temperature at seven in the capital was 23 degrees Celsius. Mercury is expected to rise to 28 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. Altogether 3.6mm rainfall was recorded Monday. Nnnn ARMED TERAI GROUPS MEET ACROSS THE BORDER IN INDIA Kathmandu, 25 June: With the Constituent Assembly (CA) poll nearing, Tarai-based armed outfits have started secret meetings across the border in Bihar state of Indiam Suresh yadav writes in Republica from Janakpur.. Jaya Krishna Goit-led Akhil Tarai Mukti Morcha and different other dozen of groups that were involved in several crimes have collectively sat for talks in Patna on Monday, sources have said. At the meet Rajan Mukti-led Jantantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha, Prashant-led Tarai National Liberation Front, Jeevan Madheshi-led Tarai-Madhesh Liberation Tigers and other 10 different armed groups also shared their views and plans, sources revealed. A member of one armed outfit who participated in the meeting told Republica on the phone that they plan to disrupt the CA polls. "We are prepared to challenge the security forces at the polling booths. We will not let the government to hold the CA election peacefully," he said. The secret meeting took place a few weeks after former minister Jaya Prakash Gupta met Jay Krishna Goit in India. Gupta had said he would work with Goit if the latter gave up arms. Nnnn MADESH PARTIES SWITCHING SIDES Kathmandu, 25 June:: At a time when Madhes-based leaders are switching sides, central member of the Tarai-Madhes Democratic Party-Nepal Shesh Chand Tara has joined Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar´s Madhesi People´s Right Forum-Democratic (MPRF-D) Monday. Earlier some of the central members from the Raj Kishore Yadav-led MPRF (Republican), and Mahendra Raya Yadav-led MPRF-Nepal have already joined MPRF-D. MPRF-D Chairman Gachchhadar welcomed Tara to his party amid a function at the party´s central office in Sanepa, Kathmandu on Monday. Talking to Republica Tara said, "Mahendra Raya Yadav´s TMDP-Nepal was not serious about the issues of Muslim, minorities, marginalized groups and the Madhesi community." She alleged that TMDP-Nepal leadership lacks vision. "Madhesi agenda can only be institutionalized under the leadership of Gachchhadar," Tara claimed. She said that she put the interest of Madhesi before Muslim interests. Five former CA members and central members of TMDP-Nepal had already joined Gachchhadar-led party. Sources have said that Mahendra Raya Yadav is now worried about troubles ahead and about the very existence of his party. Currently, Tara is also chairperson of National Women´s Commission. "She was seeking assurances of a ticket under the proportional representation quota and when we could not assure her she quit," said MPRF-Nepal Chairman Mahendra Raya Yadav. He revealed that his party will go for alliance with United Democratic Madhesi Front in the CA poll. Meanwhile, former senior leader of MPRF-Republican Nandan Kumar Dutta has said he is joining UCPN (Maoist) Tuesday. "Madhesi parties failed to drive home the isues of Madhes as they split into different parties and I believe it´s the Maoists, who are revolutionary force, that can give Madhes space," said Dutta. He accused the Madhes-based parties of being engaged in personal agendas only. Similarly, Yaduvansh Jha has also quit ML Samajbadi Party and joined CPN-UML on Monday. Before joining the ML Samajbadi Party, he was with the CPN-UML. "Finally, I am back in my old home," he said. Nnnn