Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who has failed to garner the support of the major parties on the promises he made recently to the Madhesi Morcha, has said he will find ways in a day or two to address the concerns of the regional parties opposed to the polls scheduled for May 14.

On Friday, Dahal sought two days to sort the issues surrounding the constitution amendment proposal before endorsing them from Parliament from a fast track. The prime minister had told Morcha leaders that he would translate his promise into action after holding individual meetings with the top leaders of the major parties.

PM’s chief political adviser Chakrapani Khanal said Dahal had a discussion with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba on Sunday on the matter but there was no agreement between the leaders of the two governing parties.

Dahal is preparing to meet RPP Chairman Kamal Thapa, UML Chair KP Sharma Oli and Morcha leaders shortly to discuss the issues while two second-rung leaders of the PM’s party—Narayan Kaji Shrestha and Barshaman Pun—were also engaged in dialogue with leaders from the major parties to find a way out of the current impasse.

Addressing a delegation from the Madhesi Jatiya Samanwaya Samaj at his office in Singha Durbar, PM Dahal said the amendment proposal would be finalised by Monday. He told the delegates that there was no option for the major parties but to act together for the sake of defeating extremism in the country.

Dahal is learnt to have told the delegation that his government was making efforts to ensure the Madhesi Morcha’s participation in the local level elections.

According to Khanal, the PM is for holding the local elections in two phases by addressing the demands of the Morcha, including the one to increase the number of local units in the plains. The second phase of polls would be conducted by the new government led by Deuba. “If the NC wants the leadership of the government after holding the first phase of polls, Dahal would be ready for that too in order to ensure the polls in the Tarai,” Khanal said.

Election authorities have asked the government to resolve the issues by Sunday, warning that any delays would affect the polls. PM’s press adviser Govinda Acharya said the next Cabinet meeting was expected to take decisions on a new charter amendment proposal, formation of a federal commission to rework the state boundaries and increasing the number of local units in the plains on the basis of population.