The Nepali Congress, which has emerged as the single largest party in the parliamentary elections, has intensified consultations with other political parties in its bid to form the next government, a senior ruling party leader said on Thursday.

The Nepali Congress (NC) has so far bagged 55 seats under direct election to the House of Representatives while opposition CPN-UML has won 44 seats. So far election results of 162 seats have been declared.

In the 275-member House of Representatives, 165 will be elected through direct voting, while the remaining 110 will be elected through a proportional electoral system.

A party needs at least 138 seats to form a majority government.

Talking to PTI, senior NC leader and former deputy prime minister Prakash Man Singh said the party has intensified consultations with various other political parties to form the next government.

The party will elect its Parliamentary Party leader after the results of all the seats are out and the seats to be allocated on the basis of proportionate voting system is determined, said Singh.

Half a dozen leaders within the NC have expressed their aspirations to become the next prime minister. Singh, 66, is among the leaders who are in the race to become the next prime minister.

Singh, who was elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Kathmandu 1, has been presenting himself as the next prime minister, saying that he has worked from the grassroots to the number two position in the party.

Singh, who is in favour of assuming the leadership role after winning the trust of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba, met with UML Chairman K P Sharma Oli on Sunday.

The CPN-Maoist Centre has got 17 seats, CPN-Unified Socialist 10, Lokatantrik Samajwadi Party 4 and Rashtriya Janamorcha has bagged one seat under direct election.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Janata Samajwadi Party, the two allies of the opposition UML, have bagged 7 seats each.

Rastriyia Swotantra Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party have won 7 and 3 seats respectively while Nepal Workers and Peasants Party has won one seat. The independent candidates have won 5 seats.

Elections to the House of Representatives (HoR) and seven provincial assemblies were held on November 20 to end the prolonged political instability that has plagued the Himalayan nation. The counting of votes started on Monday last.