New president of Nepal cancels first visit to India

Intensifying the political crisis looming large over the Himalayan Nepal, Kathmandu on Friday announced that its first woman President Bidhya Devi Bhandari's visit to India has been cancelled. It was Bhandari's first trip to a foreign country, after assuming the President's office.

According to diplomatic sources, increasing differences between President Bhandari and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli led to the cancellation of the visit. Nepal also recalled its ambassador to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyaya, who reportedly "confronted" PM Oli after cancellation of the scheduled visit. Bhandari was to reach India on May 9 and was also scheduled to participate in a Shahi Snan in Ujjain's Simhastha Kumbh on May 14.

Earlier this week, Prachanda-led Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) had triggered political instability in the country by declaring an end of coalition with the ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist).

However the Maoists, who had accused PM Oli of failing to implement the new Constitution among other things, later decided not to withdraw the support "for the time being".