CPN (Maoist Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal was elected the prime minister on August 3 after the Madhes-based parties threw their weight behind him in return for his commitment to address their concerns through constitution amendment, the process for which was, as per an understanding, should have been initiated within a month.

On Thursday, 25 days after assuming office, PM Dahal left for India on a four-day official visit.

Despite some talks about registering a constitution amendment proposal in Parliament before PM Dahal’s visit to the southern neighbour, parties could not make much headway.

And given the hectic schedule of PM Dahal in coming days, the Madhes-based parties do not appear very excited about the prospects of an amendment proposal anytime soon. Dahal will return from New Delhi on September 18 and is scheduled to leave for New York the following day to participate in the 71st UN General Assembly. After spending eight days in the US, he is scheduled to return home on September 26. And there is Brics Summit in Goa of India on October 15-16, and PM Dahal is expected to attend the conference.

During his meeting with Madhesi leaders on Wednesday, PM Dahal told them that the government would table the constitution amendment proposal in Parliament “after bringing the opposition forces on board”, but stopped short of giving any specific timeframe.

The main opposition CPN-UML, which has taken a hard stance on constitution amendment, has to be taken into confidence before the government tables the proposal, as its support will be a must for getting the proposal endorsed.

The delay has left the agitating Madhesi and Janajati parties anxious.

Rajendra Mahato, chairman of the Sadbhwana Party and an influential leader from the Madhes, said the Madhesi and Janajati forces would wait until September-end. “If the process to register the amendment proposal is further delayed, we will not tolerate,” he added.

Though there has been a window of a little more than two weeks after PM Dahal’s return from the US, there will be Dashain festival.

The agitating parties have claimed that there have been no formal negotiations between them and the government regarding the amendment proposal.

A team led by NC leader and Deputy Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi has been working to finalise the draft of the amendment proposal, aiming to address the agitating parties’ concerns related to provincial boundaries, citizenship, official language of  provinces and representation in the Upper House. Some sort of understanding is believed to have been reached to address boundary issue.

“We cannot wait forever. If the process if further delayed, we will take to the streets,” said Mahato, adding that the government should make

concrete efforts at the earliest to register the amendment proposal. “PM Dahal has failed to keep his word; he

had pledged to register amendment proposal before leaving for Delhi.”