PM to do a balancing act during Nepal tour
As he embarks on his third visit to Nepal on Friday, a key element of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s focus will be engaging with all political streams in Nepal, including, but not confined to, the elected government of the day, and sending signals of support and reassurance to all, said a person familiar with the planning of the visit.
“This is a working visit. The PM will focus on bilateral projects and steps needed on both sides to expedite it. But another element will be political engagement with all sides,” the person said on condition of anonymity.
This engagement will take place at four levels.
The PM will extensively interact with his host, Prime Minister KP Oli, with whom India shared difficult ties in the past. It was during the congratulatory call after he got elected that Oli invited Modi to come to Nepal soon, and Modi had promised he would do so.
Oli stuck to tradition and made India his first foreign port of call in April after becoming PM. Such a quick reciprocal visit, in just over a month is unusual for Modi. “It signals the PM’s personal commitment to working with the elected government of the day in Kathmandu,” said the person quoted above.
Oli had long requested a oneon-one meeting with Modi, without the presence of any official, and got it in Delhi.
“Trust-building with Oli began with Sushma Swaraj’s visit before he had taken over, his own visit, and the one-onone meeting. The PM’s visit will deepen it,” said the person cited above.
But the prime minister will also meet other key stakeholders in Nepal’s polity.
The Nepali Congress, the key opposition force, has sent messages to Delhi that it believe that in its outreach to Oli, India has neglected its older allies, two NC leaders confirmed.
Modi will meet NC president and former PM, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and his party representatives.