Normal life was on Wednesday crippled across Nepal due to a general strike called by the fringe Left parties to protest the major political parties’ efforts to form a Chief Justice-led election government.

Major cities, including Kathmandu, were brought to a grinding halt by the strike called by the Federal People’s Republic Front, an alliance of CPN-Maoist, the breakaway faction of ruling UCPN-Maoist and other fringe leftist parties.

They termed the move of the political parties, including the UCPN-Maoist, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the Joint Madhesi Front, as unconstitutional and a foreign ploy, indirectly blaming India.

Protesters vandalised office of Asian Paints, an Indian joint venture this morning.

“Let’s safeguard national sovereignty, end foreign intervention, stop unconstitutional move to form chief justice led government”, were the major slogans raised by the protesters.

Transportation have come to a standstill and marketplaces, academic institutions and businesses have all remained closed in the capital due to the strike.

Meanwhile, 32 cadres enforcing the strike have been arrested in Hetauda municipality in central Nepal for forcefully closing the market and educational institutions.

The formation of the proposed CJ Khil Raj Regmi-led Government will help end the month’s long political and constitutional deadlock in Nepal.

Nepal had plunged into a political and constitutional crisis after the Constituent Assembly was dissolved by Maoist Prime Minister Bhattarai in May last year without drafting the Constitution.

The crisis further deepened as Bhattarai announced fresh elections in November 2012 but failed to conduct polls.