Right up to the point when major parties decided to push ahead with the constitution drafting, Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and top leaders continued informal talks with the Tharu and Madhesi lawmakers on Sunday. But the talks failed to make headway.

In his meeting with Tharu lawmakers from the UCPN (Maoist), Koirala assured that Tharu leaders arrested after the Tikapur incident will be released within two days.

Amanlal Tharu, one of the Tharu leaders who participated in the meeting, said that the prime minister had asked for some time to address the Tharu demands.

Meanwhile, the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha leaders, including Upendra Yadav, Mahendra Yadav and Rajendra Mahato, who had arrived in Kathmandu to hold informal talks with the government  on Saturday, returned to join the ongoing Tarai protest after the talks failed to show progress.

Prime Minister Koirala and Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation Mahesh Acharya had held talks with Mahantha Thakur, chairman of Tarai Madesh Loktantrik Party on Saturday evening.

Informal talks between Madhesi leaders and Prime Minister’s interlocutors also did not yield any breakthrough, a leader said. Both sides have agreed to continue the talks even after the promulgation of the new constitution, he added.

A meeting of Nepali Congress office bearers concluded that constitution drafting process should move ahead after Morcha rejected to sit for talks.

“We put on hold the Constituent Assembly process for two days, but Madhesi Morcha didn’t show up for talks. So we decided to move ahead,” said NC Vice-president, Ram Chandra Poudyal.