The former Maoist guerrilla leader, who had led a 'People's War' for nearly 10 years, is known to enjoy an excellent rapport with India's political class across the spectrum
The four-day state visit by Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', chairman of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (CPN), to India is said to have provoked Nepalese Prime Minister K P Oli to pull his country out of the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) military exercise at the eleventh hour.
It is reliably learnt that Oli is miffed, not so much over the red carpet treatment given to Prachanda or his trip being accorded the status of a "state visit", but by reports that moves may be afoot to destabilise his ministry.
Prachanda returned to Nepal on September 9 after what he called a "successful and productive" visit to India in the course of which he had discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh.
The former Maoist guerrilla leader, who had led a 'People's War' for nearly 10 years, is known to enjoy an excellent rapport with India's political class across the spectrum. The government of India had a hand in bringing Maoists into mainstream Nepalese parliamentary politics and creating conditions for Prachanda's rise as prime minister. While in office, on more than one occasion, Prachanda strengthened relations with influential sections of not only political but also business leaders in India. New Delhi's preferred party in Nepal has always been the centrist and liberal Nepali Congress. With the party losing ground, Prachanda's acceptability increased in India.
The fact that Oli's erstwhile Unified Marxist-Leninist party is perceived as being closer to China is was also a factor in New Delhi discreetly backing Prachanda over Oli, who was the prime minister during the Madhesi agitation and the economic blockade of 2015-16. Oli also brought up the issue with India in the United Nations, where he described the blockade as an "act of inhumanity worse than war".
All of this is said to have resulted in his ouster. However, Oli won the elections which the two communist parties fought "together as the Left Alliance. Oli's party emerged as the single largest, followed by Prachanda's Maoists.
After Oli's electoral victory and return as prime minister, in the course of three meetings this year, Modi and Oli overcame their frostiness. In spite of the lack of mutual trust and Nepal moving closer to China, both sides engaged with each other in a correct, cordial and business-like manner to focus on economic development, particularly infrastructure and connectivity.
The meetings of the two prime ministers on the sidelines of the 4th BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu on August 30-31 were described as "warm" by the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar.
Therefore, it came as a bolt from the blue when on September 8 Nepal backed out of the BIMSTEC anti-terrorism military exercise in Pune. At the BIMSTEC Summit, Modi had announced the military drill and requested the member states to join the exercise.
Although Nepal's boycott of the Pune drill at the last minute appeared inexplicable in the absence of any explicit reason, it is now apparent that Prachanda's wide-ranging discussions in India – including about his becoming prime minister after Oli's completion of two years in office – has roused Oli's suspicions. It is common knowledge that between Prachanda and Oli, New Delhi prefers to deal with the former.
Speculation is now rife that the first moves have been made for splitting the unified Communist Party of Nepal towards eventually replacing Oli with Prachanda as prime minister. Prachanda's comfort level with the powers that be in New Delhi has clearly rattled Prime Minister Oli, which means that India-Nepal ties have again moved two steps backwards.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Pushpa Kamal Dahal")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}