Minister Kharel meets Dahal amid efforts to build election consensus

KATHMANDU: Minister for Communications and Information Technology and government spokesperson Jagdish Kharel met Nepali Communist Party Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ at his Khumaltar residence on Friday as the interim government intensifies political consultations ahead of the proposed House of Representatives election.

The meeting is part of the government’s broader effort to create a conducive environment for the election scheduled for March 5, 2026, under the interim government led by Sushila Karki.

During the discussion, Dahal reiterated that his party is fully prepared to face the election on the scheduled date. He has been consistently maintaining that the poll should be held on March 5 without further delay.

While the Nepali Communist Party has expressed readiness, other major parties remain divided. Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have argued that the prevailing law-and-order situation is not favourable for conducting elections and have continued to call for the restoration of Parliament.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party, led by Rabi Lamichhane, has also publicly supported holding the election in March.

Minister Kharel has been holding back-to-back meetings with top political leaders as the government seeks to build consensus among political parties on the election process and timeline.