According to the official reports, Nepal's embattled prime minister won support from 10 of his 22-party ruling coalition as the Maoist-led nationwide strike showed no sign of ending.

Nepalnews. com has reported that the 10 parties urged Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, under pressure from the former Maoist rebels to resign, to stay on.

The prime minister already has refused to step down, saying his government is committed to completing a new constitution required under the peace process that helped end the decade long Maoist-led rebellion in 2006. A draft of the constitution must be completed before the end of May.

The report said that the parties supporting the prime minister met at his residence and agreed the current crisis can only be resolved through talks and urged the Maoists to end the protest.

The Maoists should follow constitutional measures instead of taking out street protests, Krishna Sitaula, leader of the Nepali Congress, a main party in the coalition, told reporters.

It was further reported that the Maoists led by former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal won the most number of seats in the 2008 election but are currently in the opposition after quitting the government last year over the issue of integrating about 20,000 former rebels into the Nepalese army.

They launched a nationwide strike Sunday after days of agitation in the poor Himalayan nation for a new government.

The report also said that the indefinite strike already has created shortages of supplies and goods and it has also hit businesses, offices and educational institutions.

Those selling vegetables and other perishable items are the worst-hit as they cannot get fresh supplies with transportation crippled in the high mountainous country where even in ordinary times such services are inadequate.

Some prominent citizens of Nepal have come together to issue a statement urging the Maoists to end their strike and the ruling parties to earnestly respond to the Maoist demands, the report further noted. (With Inputs from Agencies)