Kathmandu: The news that Congress President, Girija Prasad Koirala and the maverick politician, Surya Bahadur Thapa of the RPP had a secret meeting with each other at Koirala’s private residence in Mandikhatar must have shaken the earth down the feet of incumbent prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.

Deuba has reasons to be alert and cautious for this meeting between the two movers-and-shakers of country’s politics have come at a time immediately after Thapa have had a very exclusive and strictly private meeting with King Gyanendra for two hours plus.

The duration of Thapa’s tête-à-tête with the monarch suggests, analysts opine, that the two must have summarized the country’s prevailing politics. However, what could have transpired in between the head of the State and a very powerful leader at the said meeting is beyond one’s imagination. But then yet Thapa’s clandestine meet with Koirala and that too for two hours signals that some thing is being cooked in Katmandu’s political kitchen against Sher Bahadur Deuba.

It is not surprising therefore that Deuba too should use his options of his cards under his sleeve.

It is in this background prime minister Deuba should have, point analysts, begun talking of holding of the elections as instructed by the monarch while appointing him as the country’s chief of the executive.

That Deuba has become totally nervous becomes clear from his fresh statements that if the Maoists delay or do not come to the negotiating table, he was all set to throw the country to the polls.

Deuba has been making such declaration much to the disagreement of his coalition partners in the government. Deuba remains undeterred.

Deuba has reasons to take hurried actions for fear of being once again dubbed as incompetent prime minister which he would prefer this time to avoid to be coined so.

The fact is that Deuba has neither been able to bring the Maoists to talks and restore peace and hold elections on time as per the instructions of King Gyanendra. Deuba so far has failed in both of the fronts. It is thus natural that Deuba should be afraid of Thapa’s meeting with King Gyanendra and the former’s secret “association” with his declared rival, Girija Prasad Koirala.

Both Thapa and Koirala appear to have concluded, political pundits guess, that Deuba’s longer tenure in government bodes ill for the nation and that neither this government can conduct the polls nor can bring in the Maoists to the table.

Given this background analysts take Prachanda’s reluctance in attending to talks with the Deuba regime.

Unconfirmed reports have it that Thapa has assured Koirala that if the latter favored his prime ministerial candidature once again, he would do all he can to tame the CIAA that is chasing Koirala like anything of late.

Thapa, if one were to recall, is considered to be exceptionally close to the Indian leadership, more so with the ruling congress.

Thapa’s meeting with the monarch has also coincidently come at a time when the King is all set to pay a visit to neighboring India beginning November 3-5 next month. The government and the Palace have yet to confirm His Majesty’s impending India visit. Nevertheless, Nepal-1 channel based in Delhi has already confirmed the dates mentioned above.

Thapa’s close proximity with the Indian leaders and the monarch’s private meeting with him does provide some inkling into the events to follow. Whatever side politics takes turn, the turn would be not in favor of Sher Bahadur Deuba.