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Nepali Congress has made a last-ditch effort to cajole the CPN (Maoist Center). Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi held a meeting with Maoist Center Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal at the latter’s residence in Khumaltar on Sunday. According to the Article 76 (2) of the Constitution, President Bidya Devi Bhandari had set a deadline of 5 pm today to claim the post of prime minister by securing a majority. During a meeting of the coalition held on Saturday, the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Center) failed to reach an agreement after they refused to budge from their stance. On the occasion, the two leaders discussed a new government formation, power sharing and contemporary political issues. Nidhi had reached Dahal’s residence taking the message of Prime Minister and Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. The NC leader urged Deuba to leave his stance of becoming the prime minister. According to a source, Nidhi said that the Nepali Congress will cooperate with the CPN-UML if Dahal did not give up his claim for the post of prime minister. The Nepali Congress started talks with the UML after Dahal through party Deputy General Secretary Barshaman Pun on Saturday warned that they would leave the coalition if he did not get the post of prime minister. Soon after the meeting of the coalition, Prime Minister Deuba sent Nidhi to Balkot on Saturday evening. Nidhi conveyed Prime Minister Deuba’s notice to Oli and also that the Nepali Congress is ready to discuss possible power sharing with the UML. A source claimed that the duo discussed possible power sharing between the Nepali Congress and the UML.  

Nepali Congress President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur held a meeting with the party leaders close to him on Friday to discuss power sharing. Deuba met the leaders to make a concrete decision after CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal refused to give up his claim for the post of prime minister and to make future strategy. Prime Minister Deuba held a meeting with Vice-President Purna Bahadur Khadka, Prakash Man Singh, Bal Krishna Khand, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Umakanta Chaudhary and Dila Sangraula. The 15 day-time given by President Bidya Devi Bhandari to form a new government is expiring on Sunday. The leaders suggested Deuba to not leave the post of prime minister under any circumstances. “We have given a suggestion that a new government should be formed under the leadership of the Nepali Congress as the largest party of the Parliament. He will not budge from his stance,” a leader, who took part in the meeting, said. Earlier, this morning CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal had told leader Singh, who had reached Dahal’s residence in Khumaltar to discuss power sharing, that he wanted the post of prime minister at any cost. Dahal also warned that he would leave the coalition if he did get the coveted post.    

Hours after holding a meeting with CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepali Congress leader Prakash Man Singh reached Baluwatar on Friday afternoon to meet Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. During the meeting, leader Singh told Deuba that Dahal will not budge from his stance of becoming the prime minister easily. According to a Baluwatar source, Prime Minister Deuba said that he would hold a serious discussion with the leaders of the ruling coalition on the issue soon. It has been understood that Dahal wants to become the prime minister with the support of the ruling coalition as much as possible or else he is preparing to lead the government with the help of the CPN-UML and some fringe parties. Dahal has been holding consultations with Prime Minister Deuba and UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli parallelly to become the prime minister. Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Deuba, Dahal and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Nepal discussed possible power sharing. President Bidya Devi Bhandari has called upon the political parties to form a new government by December 25.

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and acting Chinese ambassador to Nepal Wang Xin held a meeting at the former’s residence in Khumaltar on Friday. The meeting with a high-ranking official of the Chinese Embassy has been taken meaningfully at a time when Dahal has been expressing his reluctance to leave the post of prime minister. The acting Chinese ambassador expressed his concern over the role of the Maoist Center in the possible power sharing and government formation. In response, Dahal said that he has been working to form a new government under his leadership and he has been holding consultations with the senior leaders of the Nepali Congress for the same. Earlier this week, Wang Xin held a meeting with Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chairman Rajendra Lingden. On the occasion, he discussed a possible scenario of power sharing with Lingden. New Chinese ambassador to Nepal Cheng Song will arrive in Nepal on December 27.