KATHMANDU: Rashtriya Mukti Party President and Madhesi leader Rajendra Mahato departed for the United States on Friday. He is set to attend the fourth national conference of the Madhesi Association in America, a prominent gathering of the Madhesi diaspora.

Party leaders and well-wishers gathered at Tribhuvan International Airport to bid farewell.

The conference, scheduled for May 25 in Manassas, Virginia, is being held under the slogan, “Pride of Madhesi: Your Culture, Your Identity — Mother’s Campaign for Madhesi Empowerment.” Rajendra Mahato will participate as the chief guest.

According to the president of the Madhesi Association in America, Sangeeta Roniyar, this year’s conference is expected to be historic, with a large turnout of Madhesi community members from across the U.S. Senior Vice President of the organization and event coordinator Manoj Singh said that enthusiasm among the Madhesi diaspora is at an all-time high, and the event is poised to celebrate identity, culture, and unity among Madhesis abroad.