Kathmandu, June 7: Top leaders of UCPN-Maoist intensified bilateral talks with former prime ministers and top leaders of different political parties to search for national consensus to end the ongoing political deadlock.

Former prime minister and Maoist chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ Thursday met former prime minister and CPN-UML chairman Jhalanath Khanal and urged him to start the consensus politics.

Similarly, Prime Minister and Maoist vice-chairman Dr. Baburam Bhattarai met former Prime ministers Surya Bahadur Thapa and Lokendra Bahadur Chand separately and urged them for help to create an environment for political consensus to give a way out to the nation.

The meeting between Prachanda and Khanal held at Khanal’s residence at Dallu centered on the ongoing political deadlock.

During the meeting, Prachanda requested Khanal to go for new elections by joining the Bhattarai-led government.

After the meeting, Dahal said that he requested Khanal to move ahead by forging consensus among the political parties.

He said that Khanal was also positive about starting consensus politics and added that the disputes could be resolved through consensus.

On the occasion, Khanal said that the UCPN-Maoist should take the initiative to forge a national consensus.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai urged former prime minister and chairman of the Rastriya Janashakti Party, Surya Bahadur Thapa, to help end the political deadlock by supporting the government.

During the meeting, Dr. Bhattarai said that he was ready to quit the government after finding national consensus.

At the meeting held at Thapa’s residence in Maligaun, the Prime Minister said that the declaration of fresh elections to the Constituent Assembly (CA) was a compulsion after the CA dissolution.

After the meeting, Thapa said that the prime minister asked him to support in holding the CA elections.

Thapa told reporters that he suggested to the Prime Minister that he should initiate talks with the opposition parties by tendering his resignation.

He said the Prime Minister should play a vital role to end the trust deficit among the political parties.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr. Bhattarai also met former Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand and urged him to support the government’s move to hold elections.

The PM said that the government was trying to reach a national consensus and urged him to play the role in forging a national consensus.

During the meeting, Chand urged the prime minister to bring a consensus roadmap for the parties to reach a national consensus.