KATHMANDU: The meeting between the ruling parties and the United Democratic Madhesi Front held today in a bid to find consensus about announcing local polls ended without making any progress.

The meeting failed to break the stalemate as both sides remained adamant on their stances and rejected proposals of the other side, the PM's Secretariat informed.

During the meeting, the leaders of Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist Centre had asked the Madhesi parties to let the government announce the local polls immediately and move ahead with the Constitution amendment bill in the Parliament session beginning after three days.

The UDMF leaders, however, had clearly told Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other leaders of ruling parties that the local election dates were not acceptable till the conclusion of the amendment process, informed the PM's Secretariat.

The PM had called the meeting to ask the Madhesi parties to cooperate with the government's plan to take election preparations and the amendment process side by side.

"The Prime Minister had asked the Front leaders to play a helpful and responsible role to end the political deadlock as there is no any alternative to the elections," the statement issued by the PM's Secretariat read.

"(But) the Front leaders apprised the Prime Minister of its opinion that they could move towards the elections only after taking ownership of the Constitution (by amending it)."

The meeting was organised at the PM’s residence in Baluwatar.

PM Dahal, CPN Maoist Centre leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Deputy Prime Minister Bimalendra Nidhi and Nepali Congress General Secretary Shashanka Koirala among others represented the ruling coalition in the meeting.

Upendra Yadav, Ashok Rai, Mahantha Thakur and Rajendra Mahato among others were present from the agitating alliance.

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