Kathmandu, April 7:

Barely a week after the eight parties agreed to hold constituent assembly polls on June 20, a senior Maoist leader today said his party would not take the moral responsibility if CA polls were not held on time.

Raising suspicion over the possibility of conducting CA polls on the stipulated date, Maoist senior leader CP Gajurel said, “If the CA elections are further delayed, there can be disaster. We (Maoist) will not take the moral responsibility for the delay. We have been repeatedly insisting on timely polls.”

Speaking at an interaction at Reporters’ Club today, Gajurel reiterated his party’s stance on timely polls since “elections are on top of agenda” of the eight parties, interim government and the legislature-parliament.

Chairman of the Jana Morcha Nepal, Amik Sherchan, however, said since senior leaders of eight parties have agreed on the date, all eight parties should be responsible if CA polls are delayed.

NSP (Anandidevi) general secretary and former minister Hridayesh Tripathi said, “How do we expect CA polls on time when spadework for creating favourable environment for polls has not begun.”NC (D) leader Man Mohan Bhattarai urged the eight party leaders to formulate the poll time table and prove that CA polls would be held on time. “Timely CA polls are doubtful due to technical reasons,” he said.