KATHMANDU: CPN (Maoist Chairman) Pushpa Kamal Dahal has piled pressure on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba not to table the US grant assistance millennium challenge corporation (MCC) in a meeting of the House of Representatives (HoR).

In a one-on-one meeting held in Baluwatar this morning, Prachanda urged Prime Minister Deuba not to table the MCC stating that it is controversial and would be unwise to do so at a time when the date of local elections is fast-approaching.

“Maoist Center Chairman Prachand met with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in Baluwatar this morning. He told him not to table the MCC but Prime Minister Deuba said the NC would not backtrack as it has already decided to table it in the parliament,” said an NC leader.

A meeting of the ruling alliance scheduled for today will take a decision on the MCC.

The NC leader said the NC would not backtrack as it has already decided to table it in the parliament. The MCC was not tabled in the meeting of the HoR after Prachanda and CPN (Unified Socialist) Chairman Madhav Nepal bought time to take an appropriate decision on it.

MCC headquarters has urged Prime Minister Deuba and Prachanda to endorse the MCC by February 28, 2022 in accordance with the commitment expressed in a confidential letter.

Prachanda, in a confidential letter sent to the MCC headquarters, had expressed commitment that his party would extend support in endorsing the MCC. The HoR meeting has been has been postponed for Friday after ruling coalition leaders were divided over the issue of the MCC.

The Maoist Center has warned that it would pull out of the government if the MCC was tabled in the parliament meeting without forging consensus among the coalition parties.