Leaders of the Tarai-based parties, who had frosty relations with the CPN-UML over the Madhes issues, attended the latter’s tea reception organised on Saturday on the occasion of Dashain, Tihar and Chhath festivals.

Tarai Madhesi Loktantrik Party Chairman Mahantha Thakur, and Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal chief Upendra Yadav, two prominent figures of the Madhes movement, attended the event held at Dhumbarahi in the Capital.

Madhesi leaders have publicly criticised the UML for its tough stance on redrawing of the provincial boundaries.

TMLP is the party that did not invite UML Chairman and then-prime minister

KP Sharma Oli to its general convention held in Nawalparasi district five months ago.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba said on the occasion that the local body elections would be held at any cost.

UML chief Oli had asked the government to work sincerely for holding the elections on time. Polls at the three levels—central, provincial and local—have to be held by January 21, 2018.

Talking to media persons at the event, leaders from both the opposition and ruling

parties reiterated their commitment that the elections should be held in the stipulated time.

Oli welcomed the representatives of all the major parties to the reception. According to the Rastriya Samachar Samiti, except for Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who is on a visit to Goa, India, the event saw the participation of prominent political figures, the chief secretary, athletes, civil society leaders, bankers, chiefs of diplomatic missions, industrialists, high-level government officials and journalists, among others.

The participants included Speaker Onasari Gharti, NC senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel, former PM and Naya Shakti Nepal coordinator Baburam Bhattarai, former Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang, former PM and Rastriya Prajatantra Party chairman Lokendra Bahadur Chand and Madhesi Janadhikar Forum (Loktantrik) Chairman Bijay Kumar Gachhadar.