Kathmandu, Sept 22 : The Maoist cadres on Saturday launched their agitation to disrupt the Constituent Assembly elections slated for November 22.

As part of their campaign, Maoists staged demonstrations in front of the Village Development Committee's (VDC) and municipal offices across the country today.

The Maoists had warned to disrupt the Constituent Assembly elections earlier this week after the Interim Government turned down the Maoist demand to declare the Himalayan nation as a republic immediately.

Maoists, on September 18, had announced their protest programmes to coincide with the poll-related Election Commission activities.

Coinciding with the date for the political parties to submit their closed lists of candidates for the proportional voting system, the Maoists have planned protest programmes at all district administration offices on September 30.

The Maoists plan to hold an 'exposure campaign' from September 29 to October 3 against those found guilty by the Rayamajhi Commission for committing atrocities during April 2006 pro-democracy movement.

The Maoists have also announced a nationwide political strike from October 4 to 6.

Meanwhile, a majority of the Nepali Congress (NC) central committee leaders urged party president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala not to endorse the Maoist proposal of declaring country a republic through Interim Parliament.

They said that the declaration would be detrimental.

The central committee leaders urged Koirala to stick to the Constitutional arrangement of deciding the fate of monarchy through the Constituent Assembly. (With inputs from ANI)