Himalayan News Service DHARAN/GULMI: A Nepali Congress leader today said that fellow party leader and the sole prime ministerial candidate, Ramchandra Paudel, will not withdraw his candidature from the race for the top post even if he loses a hundred times. Speaking at a party cadres’ gathering in Dharan, NC central committee member Dr Shekhar Koirala made it clear that Paudel will quit the race only after the political parties forge a consensus. Koirala also urged the UCPN-Maoist, UML and the Madhes-based parties to come up with an alternative to Paudel instead of demanding NC’s withdrawal from the race, but hastened to add that his party is not ready to support a UCPN(M)-led government government as it is yet to transform into a civilian party. On a different note, the NC leader said his party will never go with the parties that want to federate the nation on the basis of castes. Warning that a disaster will occur if the Parliament fails to pass the annual budget by mid-November, Koirala maintained that the government need not appease any political parties to pass the budget. “It is the the ruling party that should bring the budget, not the opposition” he said, adding that NC, as a partner in the coalition government, is ready to offer all possible help in bringing the budget. Koirala also found time to talk about internal issues of NC. He informed that those party leaders, who were defeated in the 12th party convention, will be included in the central committee. “Those friends, who were defeated, need not worry and those who won need not be excited as we all belong to the same party.” Meanwhile, Minister for Federal Affairs, Constituent Assembly and Culture Minendra Rijal said in Gulmi that his party — NC — will not accept a Maoist-led government until the Maoists shun the politics of violence and weapons. He said the Maoists are under increased pressure to take the peace process to a logical end, claiming that their activities are hindering efforts to end the protracted political deadlock. http://thehimalayantimes.com/f...