"The people voted us in reposing trust upon us and the party should pay attention towards materializing that trust. For this, the party should concentrate on the task of constitution drafting taking all the parties in the Constituent Assembly and outside it into confidence and issue a constitution within a year," Deuba said.

Senior leader Deuba said this while speaking at a programme organised by the Nepali Congress (NC) Syangja-Kathmandu Liaison Committee here today. The programme was organised to congratulate the newly-elected CA members.

Deuba also warned that the country would head towards a grave crisis if a new constitution was not issued within a year's time.

The CA members representing Syangja district, Gopalman Shrestha, Suryaman Gurung, Dhanraj Gurung, Kamal Pangeni and Raju Thapa were felicitated on the occasion.

Referring to the election held in the party for the post of the parliamentary party leader in which he had contested, Deuba said, "I do not want to talk about the internal matters of the party here; however, election was held for the party's parliamentary leader. Whatever the election result, it is the Nepali Congress alone that has won. Democracy has won. I have not taken it as an issue of victory or loss or a matter of prestige. I will work in the spirit of consensus and cooperation in the coming days."

Deuba was defeated by party president Sushil Koirala by 16 votes in the election for the post of parliamentary leader of the party held on January 26. Koirala had secured 105 votes while Deuba had bagged 89.

He expressed the confidence that president Koirala would take the party and other parties into confidence. "I am always with him," Deuba said.

Party central committee member Gopalman Shrestha stressed that the party should give priority to constituting a consensus government rather than based on majority.

Other CA members who were honoured on the occasion also stressed the need for the party to focus on constitution writing.