A meeting between leaders of the ruling coalition—Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (Maoist Centre)— and Madhesi Morcha leaders to discuss holding the local level elections in two phases and constitution amendment at the PM’s residence in Baluwatar on Friday has ended inconclusively.

The leaders, howevr, have agreed to meet again later today. 

The meeting ended without making any headway after both sides stuck to their respective stances. At today's meeting, Morcha leaders reiterated that the constitution amendment bill should be revised.

PM Dahal, during the meeting, urged Morcha leaders to agree on the new constitution amendment bill registered by the government at the parliament and take part in the May 14 local level elections.

CPN (MC) leader Barsha Man Pun said that the meeting ended on a positive note despite failing to reach a conclusive decision.

Likewise, SSFN senior leader Ashok Rai said that the government should revise the amendment bill as it was of greater concern to the Morcha than the upcoming local polls.

Meanwhile, PM Dahal has said that the government will hold discussions regarding the Morcha’s proposal for revision with its coalition partners to garner consensus.

Similarly, newly formed Rastriya Janata Party leader Laxman Lal Karn said that they will carry on with their pre-scheduled programmes of protest if consensus cannot be forged with the government within today.

The PM’s secretariat has informed that the leaders of ruling coalition including the Rastriya Prajatantra Party will hold a meeting regarding the same at 3pm today followed by another meeting with the Morcha at 5pm.

The meeting called by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal took place a day after six Madhes-based parties affiliated with the Samyukta Loktanrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) unified to form Rastriya Janata Party (RJP). After the unification, the RJP has announced ‘to step up protest’ to press for statute revision.

PM Dahal, NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Home Minister Bimalendra Nidhi, NC leaders Ram Chandra Poudel, Sashank Koirala, Prakash Man Singh, CPN (MC) leaders Barsha Man Pun, SLMM leaders Mahanta Thakur, Rajendra Mahato, Ashok Rai, Rajendra Shrestha, Anil Kumar Jha, Sharat Singh Bhandari, Mahendra Rae Yadav, Hridayesh Tripathi among other leaders are taking part in today’s meeting.

Madhesi Morcha has been dissenting over the registration of the new amendment proposal by the government at the parliament on April 11. After the government’s move, there have been no formal talks between the government and the Morcha.

Meanwhile, Morcha and Sanghiya Gathabandhan—an alliance of Madhes and Janajati parties—have begun programmes of protest from April 18 in a bid to foil the upcoming local polls slated for May 14.