Political situation in Nepal and bilateral issues of mutual concern figured in talks Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood had with embattled Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, who has been under tremendous pressure from the Maoists to step down.
Sood called on the Prime Minister at his office in Singhdurbar Tuesday, official sources said.
During their meeting, they discussed the current political situation in Nepal and bilateral issues of mutual interest, the sources said.
The meeting is being seen by observers here as significant as it took place at a time when the ruling alliance and main opposition Unified CPN-Maoist have locked horns over the issue of Nepal's resignation.
Maoists have demanded that the Prime Minister quit immediately and warned of serious consequences if he did not pave the way for formation of a
national consensus government.
However, the Nepali Congress-CPN(UML) alliance has asked the Maoists to first reach an agreement on completion of the peace process and drafting of the Constitution before forming a national consensus government.
A senior Cabinet colleague of Nepal Tuesday said the Prime Minister was ready to step down if peace and Constitution-drafting were guaranteed by
the former rebels.
"If the Maoists guarantee to complete the peace process by implementing all the past agreements and to draft a democratic Constitution,
the Prime Minister will quit," Minister for Information and Communication Shanker Pokharel said.
Unless the Maoists abandon the attitude of capturing power through weapons, peace and Constitution cannot be guaranteed, he said.