President of Nepali Congress (NC) Girija Prasad Koirala has said unity between the two Nepali Congress parties is needed to intensify the current agitation.

Talking to party cadres in Biratnagar on Monday, Koirala said, “I wish for unity between the two Congress parties — Nepali Congress (NC) and Nepali Congress-Democratic (NC-D). Talks on uniting the two parties will begin once I return to Kathmandu,” the Annapurna daily reported.

Former prime minister and founder leader of NC Krishna Prasad Bhattarai had also called for the unification of the two parties.

Koirala informed that he and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, president of NC-D discussed about the party unity during their meeting following the release of Deuba from detention.

The party divided into two factions in 2002.

Party cadres too have said party unity will help intensify the agitation, Koirala said.

Regarding the King’s offer to the parties for talks, Koirala said, “I will comment on the offer only after talking it out with the other parties.”

The NC president, who had come to Biratnagar on Wednesday, returned to the capital on Monday.