Chief Election Commissioner Ayodhee Prasad Yadav has ruled out the possibility of holding the local elections in the plains in a third phase.

Talking to reporters in Biratnagar on Monday, CEC Yadav said the Election Commission would not accept a third-round election at the local level. He argued that it would be undemocratic to postpone the election date yet again, after the government has deferred it thrice already.

“I urge the government not to postpone the election date again,” said Yadav, claiming that the vote would not be rescheduled even if the Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal boycotted it. As the election law has been amended, the RJP-N can take part in the polls but the vote symbol it has demanded—umbrella—would not be given as ballot papers have already been delivered to the districts.