The main opposition Nepali Congress has expedited consultations in view of the upcoming presidential election in Parliament even as the largest party has not decided whether to field its own candidate or support one from another party.

On Friday, former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, senior party leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, Vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel and General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula met UPCN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other senior Maoist leaders to discuss possible sharing of the posts of the President, the Speaker and their deputies.

The NC voted for Maoist Speaker candidate Onsari Gharti Magar in Parliament later on the day.

With “positive” talks with the Maoist leadership, the NC decided not to field its candidates for the Speaker and deputy Speaker election against its earlier decision to field its candidates for all the major posts.

As per the understating reached earlier between the ruling CPN-UML and the Maoists, the UML will get the President’s position. As the largest party in the House, the NC has claimed the post but it has not started dialogue with the UML. NC leaders hope the Maoists and another ruling party leader Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar will pressure the UML to hear the NC’s concerns.

Though the NC and the Maoists have not reached any concrete understanding, the talks were positive, according to NC lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada, who attended the meeting. “We’ll be watching the moves of the ruling parties. In return for our support to the Speaker candidates, we are pretty sure the Maoists will support our candidate later,” said Khatiwada.

NC leaders said they would encourage the agitating Madhes-based parties to participate in the presidential election.

According to another NC leader, the party could support Madhesi leader Mahantha Thakur with an aim to win over the constituencies in the Tarai.

NC leader KB Gurung, however, is the party’s first choice, said the leader. But the Madhes-based parties have been pushing the NC to support someone of Thakur’s stature to strike a balance.

“They [Madhesi parties] supported us in the PM election. Why not we extend our vote to them if someone really comes forward to contest,” NC lawmaker from Dhanusha Ananda Prasad Dhungana said.