Prachanda, CPN-UML to join a reached

CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli today rejected Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba's proposal to back the constitution amendment bill.Deuba had gone to Oli's residence in Balkot today seeking the main opposition party's support for the bill tabled in the Parliament. Deuba's meeting comes hot on the heels of the Mahantha Thakur-led Federal Alliance's announcement of fresh stir against the local polls. The FA has said that a revised constitution amendment bill must be passed or else it will disrupt the local polls. Oli rejected Deuba's proposal, saying that the constitution amendment bill had failed to prove its relevance and therefore his party would not support the bill in its present form, according to Oli's aide Pramod Dahal. In the meeting, Oli also demanded that the second phase local polls be held before May 29 and the government bring the budget as per the constitutional provision.The UML wants to ensure that the budget does not influence election in favour of the ruling parties.A knowledgeable source said Oli told Deuba that if he became the prime minister after the first phase of local polls and failed to hold local polls on June 14 because of the ruling parties' failure to ensure passage of the constitution amendment bill he (Deuba) would be blamed for the failures.