Three major parties have agreed to hold local elections under the new structure by mid-May and ensure other two levels of elections—provincial and federal—by mid-December. 

At a meeting called on Saturday evening by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal at Baluwatar, leaders of the ruling coalition—CPN (Maoist Centre) and the Nepali Congress—and the main opposition CPN-UML though were one on holding local polls by mid-May, they maintained their earlier positions on the constitution amendment bill. 

The ruling coalition sought to put the amendment bill to vote while the UML demanded that it be withdrawn. PM’s Chief Political Adviser Chakrapani Khanal said the major parties agreed to hold local level elections by mid-May and that the government would hold talks with the Madhes-based parties.

The Madhes-based parties have already said that they will not participate in the polls until the constitution amendment bill gets endorsed.