Pro-independence parties in Catalonia have held their absolute majority in snap regional elections, dealing a blow to the Spanish government which had called the polls in the hope of defusing the secessionist push.

GAUSHALA, August 2: Minister for Labor and Employment, Farmullah Mansoor, has blamed the CPN (UML) and Madhes based parties as being separatists.

KATHMANDU, June 15: The decision to postpone the second phase of the local level elections in Province 2 will weaken national unity and boost the morale of separatists, the main opposition CPN-UML said on Thursday as it criticized the government's last-minute decision to defer the polls in Province 2.