“As per the Interim Constitution, none of the candidates bagged a clear majority to win, so I have fixed 8 am Monday for a run-off poll between the two top candidates,” said CKul Bahadur Gurung, chair, Constituent Assembly (CA).

Both Nepali Congress and Maoists were busy wooing smaller parties on Sunday to secure the backing for their respective presidential candidates.

Nepali Congress (NC) leader Gopal Man Shrestha said that his party and CPN-UML have started discussions with smaller parties to get their support for Yadav.

The CPN-Maoist also held parleys with the Terai-Madhes Democratic Party and Sadbhawana Party this morning in connection with the poll run-off, Kantipur Online reported. NC President and outgoing Premier Girija Prasad Koirala met Chure Bhawar Rastriya Ekata Party Chairman Keshav Mainali at his official residence in Baulatar, it said. Besides, the NC held the meeting of its parliamentary party to chalk out a strategy to ensure its candidate’s victory.

The MPRF has also been holding internal parleys following the reports that its leaders voted for Maoist Presidential candidate Ram Raja Prasad Singh against the party’s understanding with the NC and UML, the report said.

The NC-UML-MPRF alliance has also decided to propose a CPN-UML candidate, possibly former Parliament Speaker Subhas Nemwang, for the post of Chairman of the Constituent Assembly. The election for the post will be held after the presidential poll concludes. If non-Maoist parties manage to get 51 per cent votes for their presidential candidate, they could also install their own premier instead of backing Maoist chief Prachanda for the post.