The Nepali Parliament approved the amendments to the country’s new Constitution on Saturday night to address the agitating Madhesis’ demands for proportionate representation and allocation of seats in parliament on the basis of population. As many as 461 lawmakers voted in favour of the proposals in the first constitutional amendment Bill. The remaining seven in the 468 MPs who participated voted against them.

However, Madhesi leaders said the Bill was incomplete and didn’t address their main demand to revise the federal state borders laid out in the charter that they fear will limit their representation in Parliament.

Madhesh-based parties, under the banner of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) or the Madhesi Morcha, are agitating in the southern Terai plains adjoining India since the new Constitution came into force on September 20 last year. At least 60 people were killed in the last five months as the Madhesi Morcha launched the agitation. Nepal faces a severe short supply of essential commodities, fuel and medicines due to blockade of major Nepal-India entry points.