Kathmandu, July 27

The Nepali Congress and the CPN-Maoist Centre today said their coalition would conduct civic polls by the third week of March by holding consultations with other parties.

A meeting of the two parties held today in Singha Durbar decided to hold polls as per the new structures to be determined by the local bodies’ restructuring commission, said Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi.

Earlier, KP Sharma Oli-led government had announced civic polls by mid-December as per the existing structures.

“We decided to hold civic polls as per the new structures to be determined in accordance with the provisions of the new constitution.

Since, it will not be possible to hold local bodies polls by mid-December, as announced by the government, if the report of the local bodies’ commission is to be implemented, we have decided to hold polls nearly three months later than that the announced date,” said NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi.

As the commission is mandated to submit its report by March 13 and the Election Commission has already said it would need four months after the report, the date has been proposed assuming that the local bodies’ restructuring commission will submit its report not later than mid-December, according to Nidhi.

CPN-MC’s Spokesperson Pampha Bhusal said the NC and the CPN-MC were holding consultations to prepare common ground for conducting local polls.

NC, CPN-MC dwell on govt formation

KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Centre’s leaders have begun groundwork to form a new government. Although the president, on Monday, called on parties to give consensual name for new prime minister by July 31, it is unlikely that the parties will agree on a consensual name.

The meeting of the NC and the CPN-MC has asked CPN-MC Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal to begin consultations with other parties regarding government formation, according to NC leader Nidhi.

Sources say the two parties are considering forming a smaller Cabinet than that of the KP Sharma Oli-led government’s 40-member Cabinet. They said they would try their best to make agitating Madhes-based parties participate in the new government.