Leaders of major three political parties—Nepali Congress (NC), CPN-UML and UCPN (Maoist)—held "intense discussions" for two days in their bid to narrow down the differences on the key issues of constitution writing.

The meeting of the major three parties has been adjourned until Tihar festival. The talks will continue after Tihar.

The two-day residential talk was convened at the behest of Political Dialogue and Consensus Committee (PDCC) of the Constituent Assembly.

NC Senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba, Vice President Ram Chandra Poudel and General Secretary Krishna Prasad Sitaula along with CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli, leader Madhav Kumar Nepal and General Secretary Ishwar Pokharel took part in the talks.

Likewise, UCPN (M) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal, leaders Baburam Bhattarai and Narayan Kaji Shrestha too were present in the meeting.

The parties are seeking consensus on key contentious issues such as state –restructuring, forms of governance, judiciary and electoral system. The NC and CPN-UML are trying to forge consensus on federating the country into seven states. However, the UCPN (M) has a different stand.

UCPN (Maoist) leader Narayan Kaji Shrestha informed that the meeting held on Tuesday failed to make headway on resolving the contentious issues.

The deadline of PDCC has been extended for the third time until November 1 to find consensus on the contended issues.

The CA has directed PDCC to either forge consensus by November 1 or submit a questionnaire the very next day (Nov 2) in case it failed to forge the consensus by the third extended deadline. Earlier, the deadline of PDCC had been extended twice on September 30 and October 7.

Although NC and CPN-UML are in favour of drafting the constitution through voting UCPN (M) and other fringe parties are stead fast on their stand to promulgate the statute through consensus.