Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that his party is ready to hold local level elections in two phases if the agitating Madhes-based parties express readiness to come on board.

Addressing a mass meeting organised as a part of NC’s poll preparations at Adibasi Rangashala in Jhapa on Tuesday, the NC chief claimed that he and his party were putting in all their efforts to convince the Madhesi parties to the elections.

Stressing that there is no alternative to elections in taking the country on the path of prosperity, Deuba urged the agitating Madhesi Morcha and the main opposition CPN-UML to move ahead by endorsing the constitution amendment proposal.

“It will not be wise on part of the Madhesi Morcha to run away from the elections as the entire country is gearing up for the polls,” he said.

“People want elections to establish their rights, more so for Madhesi people,” he said, claiming that some forces are hatching conspiracies to foil the elections in the name of nationality. He said such forces whipping up the issue in Hills and Madhes to disintegrate the country.

“The ability to lead the country forward by forging consensus among the political parties is the nationality in a true sense,” said the former PM.

NC senior leader Ram Chandra Paudel, General Secretary Shashank Koi-rala and leaders Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Shekhar Koirala, Bhishmaraj Angdambe, Sarita Prasain, among others, also addressed the function.