Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has urged party leaders and cadres to lead by example by being the first party to prepare for local polls.

Considering the urgency to hold local polls, he said that the polls would be held under the existing structure if major parties fail to agree on the new local-level structure as recommended by the Local Body Restructuring Commission.

“Also taking into consideration the amount of time required to hold elections under the new structure, it would be more practical to hold local polls under the existing structure by taking the current Village Development Committee as Village Councils,” Deuba said. He was addressing the oath taking ceremony of newly-elected team of its youth wing Tarun Dal at the party headquarters in Sanepa, Lalitipur on Tuesday.

Deuba also expressed hope that the main opposition CPN-UML would come to consensus on the constitution amendment bill registered in Parliament by the ruling coalition. Claiming talks on Tuesday monring with both Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and UML Chair KP Oli as fruitful, he said: “The UML also realises the urgency to hold three layers of elections as per the

constitution. Under that pretext, Maoist Centre, NC and UML are ready to hold local elections.”

The constitution stipulates that local, provincial and federal polls be held by January 2018.

Also speaking on the occasion, NC senior leader Ram Chandra Poudel asked party cadres to start election campaigning across the country.

Defence Minister Bal Krishna Khand suggested the youth leaders to take the lead in reaching out to every village as part of their plans to gear up for the polls. “Regarding the statute amendment, our senior leaders are engaged in discussion. I am sure of a positive outcome,” said Khand, adding that the onus lies on Tarun Dal leaders to help NC secure victory in the upcoming elections.

Newly sworn-in Tarun Dal Chairman Jeet Jung Basnet pledged to lead by example. “I will make sure that we campaign against corruption, fight of the rights of the youth and the people and make it a vibrant organisation,”

he said.