The Nepali Congress has initiated talks with the major parties in order to find a common position on the demands of the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha.

The opposition party convened a meeting with the ruling coalition on Saturday with a reading that talks between the government and the Madhes-based parties had made no headway in resolving the Tarai crisis.

NC spokesman Dilendra Prasad Badu said after the meeting that the ruling parties had failed to come up with a concrete position on how to address the demands of the agitating regional parties.

Instead of organising a meeting of all the parties, the government team is reaching out only to the Madhes-based forces, NC leaders said. “We’ll try to prepare a common position. If that is not possible, we will formulate our own approach,” said Badu.

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal hailed the initiative as a positive gesture. “The idea of ruling and opposition parties does not apply to the constitutional process,” said Dahal. “Three major parties should formulate a common position, on the basis of which there should be negotiation with the Madhes-based parties.”

The meeting, however, did not discuss the demands raised by the Tarai parties concretely. The meeting agreed to hold regular talks in order to formulate a common stance. CPN-UML General Secretary Ishwor Pokhrel said there was no problem in moving the amendment bill in Parliament but the Madhes-based parties needed to be taken into confidence first.

Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik Chairman Bijay Gachhadar said his party had reservations about the constitutional provisions even though it is in government. He said there is a need to redraw the federal map in order to address the concerns of the Madhesi parties.

“Parties that backed the constitution drafting process should come together to end the deadlock,” Gachhadar said after the meeting.

Meanwhile, PM KP Oli has called an all-party meeting to set a common view on the demands of the Madhesi parties. The date of the meet would be decided in consultation with the NC, which has called a meeting of its Parliamentary Party to discuss the Madhes crisis.