Prime Minister Sushila Karki has urged Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Communist Party Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal to join hands in the upcoming House of Representatives elections. Deuba, Oli and Dahal have said they are ready to go to the elections but remain skeptical about security arrangements.

Prime Minister Karki held discussions with top leaders of the three main parties in Baluwatar on Saturday. During that meeting, she said, "Everyone should participate in this election. I have seen that you are ready for the election. Now, without any confusion, let's make the election successful to ensure stable and sustainable democracy, considering the future of this nation. This is the responsibility of all of us."

Karki also said that the post of Prime Minister is political and that only the leaders of political parties have the right to it. "This house (Prime Minister's residence) belongs to you. I am a person from the judiciary. We are preparing for the election as per the mandate received from the President to hold the election," she told the trio of former Prime Ministers. "I have separated from administrative work and entrusted all the ministries I have with other ministers except Homeland Defense for the entire election."

In the meeting, Oli had said that the UML was always ready to go to the election. He had opined that the government should create an environment. Oli had raised questions on the formation of the government after 23 Bhadra, the dissolution of the House of Representatives, the announcement of the House of Representatives elections, the agreement between Gen-G and the government, etc. 

After raising these issues, he had said, ‘We are ready to go to the elections, UML is not a party that is afraid of elections.’ After Oli repeated what he had said in the meeting held at the President’s Office on Tuesday, Congress President Deuba and NCP Coordinator Dahal had stopped him. They had suggested that Oli speak briefly without repeating what he had already said at the President’s Office. 

Oli accused the government of going the way of Bangladesh rather than holding elections. ‘Talking about holding elections and voting from abroad? The elections have been postponed by doing such new things in Bangladesh,’ was Oli’s statement. Stopping him on that too, Congress President Deuba said, ‘What can we do by talking about Bangladesh? Is there any democracy left there? We should talk about here.’

Oli also questioned the work of the commission of inquiry into the incidents of 23 and 24 Bhadra. He said, ‘Why should I drag an unrelated person for the work that the commission is doing? The former Home Minister has already said that he will go to give a statement. The Prime Minister does not order firing or anything. Now that you are the Prime Minister, what will happen if you are dragged into an investigation into what your ministers will do tomorrow?’ 

However, Minister of Communication Kharel said that UML Chairman Oli has also expressed his commitment to go to the elections. ‘He said that UML is ready for the elections, and the environment must be created for that,’ he said. 

In the meeting, Congress President Deuba said that the elections should be held at any cost. He said that the restoration of parliament will not be the priority of the Congress in the event of elections. ‘If possible, the deadline for submitting the closed list of proportional candidates can be extended by 5 days,’ Deuba said in the meeting, ‘The weather may cause problems in some places in Humla and Dolpa. "Only where it is difficult, it is postponed, but the election should be held on 21 Falgun," Prime Minister Karki said in response.

NCP Coordinator Dahal had urged Prime Minister Karki not to even think about postponing the 21 Falgun election. "He said let's not mess around with the 21 Falgun election, let's hold the election as it happens. He praised the government for having to work under special circumstances," Minister Kharel said. "He said that he is ready for his election and asked the UML and the Congress to be ready as well."

According to the Prime Minister's Press Coordinator Ram Rawal, top leaders have also informed that they will submit the closed list of candidates for the proportional representation under the House of Representatives election to the Election Commission on Sunday and Monday at the scheduled time. 

Prime Minister Karki had informed that the government is working diligently for election security. "We have provided the necessary resources to the Election Commission and the police administration. We have arranged as many resources as we have said. "You must have felt the morale of the security personnel increase," she said. In response to the leaders' query about whether the snowfall in the Himalayan region in Falgun could affect the voting, Prime Minister Karki reminded the government that it has a 'mandate' to hold the House of Representatives elections on 21 Falgun.