KATHMANDU: Two hours after he called party cadres and leaders to stay away from the run-off poll, Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula corrected himself and urged them to take part in the voting.

"I call all the general convention representatives to take part in the voting process by cleanly and easily accepting the democratic method," Sitaula said in the second statement.

"On this day, that was the appropriate way to unify the party and include everyone's sentiments," Sitauala said referring to his earlier call to make some consensus before the round-off poll began, "But, our attempt could not be successful."

READ ALSO: 

• Sitaula calls to skip run-off; 41 district presidents back Paudel
• Run-off poll begins to elect Nepali Congress president

Earlier, the party's outgoing General Secretary had said he did not wish the run-off poll to be held, in order to include what he called “sentiments of all in the party.”

“When we return from the general convention,” Sitaula had argued, “We should take with us the message of a unified Congress, not the one divided into factions.”

“My belief is that,” he had elaborated, “If we can ensure a situation that includes sentiments of all in the party before the second-round voting begins and skip the voting, the general convention can convey a positive message.”

The run-off poll has already begun.