Maoist ministers in the interim multi-party government in Nepal on Thursday resigned en masse in an apparent bid to pressurise Prime Minister G P Koirala to quit and allow formation of a new administration led by the former rebels.

All the five Maoist ministers in the ruling alliance tendered their resignations to party chief Prachanda, Maoist leader and Local Development Minister Dev Gurung said. According to political analysts, it was a pressure tactic by the former guerrillas so that the process of the government formation could be initiated.

Maoists had emerged as the single largest party in the landmark April 10 polls for the 601-strong Constituent Assembly bagging 220 seats followed by Nepali Congress of Koirala and CPN-UML which secured 110 and 103 seats respectively.

They have agreed to other major parties' demands to amend the Constitution and give up their claim on the post of the President in order to lead the new government. Gurung's remarks came shortly after Maoist number two leader Baburam Bhattarai told PTI that his party's ministers in the interim government were preparing to submit their resignations within a week in order to pave the way for forming a new government.