When the leaders do not have answers to the political deadlock, the best option is to go for a fresh mandate and the parties have made the right decision. In a democracy, no clause in the constitution can stop the people from reasserting themselves.

But for the elections to take place, the top four political forces must first include smaller parties in the ongoing dialogue and forge a common understanding on the rationale of the elections, date, and the size of the next CA or parliament. But even before that it is important for the parties to decide who will lead the electoral government?

In the aftermath of the CA dissolution, the NC has been rightly criticised as a disoriented and confused party. Despite huge expectations, the leadership has clearly failed to present its case to lead the country at this critical juncture. Internally, the top brass has disregarded established norms of seeking mandate from the party's representative body and has been making arbitrary decisions in the name of the party.

A few leaders have been keeping the party hostage to their personal ambitions and making back door deals to accommodate each other's interests. But their failure to provide a visionary leadership, and engage the opposition shows that the days of coterie politics in the NC are over.There is an urgent need to democratise the party's internal structure and decision-making process. Only a strong NC free from the control of the few can influence national politics.