Kathmandu: The Nepali congress has two cards under its sleeve.

The first card the party is utilizing to lure the rest of the political parties including those of the Maoists.

The second card is being cleverly used for a bargain with the Monarch.

If one were to recall the recent NC declaration wherein the party had declared that the party was open to a referendum and for the constituent assembly option as demanded by the Maoists and other political parties.

This was seen as a grand departure from the congress’ old and accepted and adhered line of constitutional monarchy. However, as things have come to the open, it becomes clear that the NC made those declarations to send signals to the King that the party could go to any extent should the King did not correct his past constitutional blunders.

Sushil Koirala, the general secretary of the NC, the other day made it abundantly clear that though the NC had opted for a referendum and constituent assembly, however, the party’s bottomline still were guided by, firstly, the restoration of the now dissolved parliament and, secondly, effecting wider and effective reforms in the constitution.

A close analysis of what Sushil Koirala said recently makes it amply clear that the NC has still not bought the idea of the constituent assembly and that the party could patch up its differences with the King should the latter appreciated the party’s demands and acted thereupon.

This means that the NC is clearly in a mood to go in for a bargain with the King. How the King reacts to fresh NC political overtures will have to be watched.

Nevertheless, sources close to Koirala claim that some powerful personalities supposedly close to the Palace have begun seducing President Koirala and been suggesting the latter to become the prime minister of the nation upon the replacement of Deuba.

However, Koirala sources say that the president has hinted the powerful personalities thus approaching him that he can’t and will not replace Deuba through the use of the same controversial article 127.

“If the parliament is restored and if the house accepts him as a consensus candidate for the prime ministership, he would not deny the offer”, say Koiralaites.

But will the King agree to a demand to which he has been till now rejecting?

Analysts prefer to wait for some more time to see which of the two yields in favor for whom?