The elevation of Pushpa Kamal Dahal alias Prachanda as the Prime Minister of Nepal after the fractured mandate of the November election is not entirely a surprise, even though the Nepali Congress emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats in the 275-member Parliament. This is country’s second election since becoming a republic. With this Prachanda becomes the Prime Minister of Nepal for the third time. An underground liberation war leader against the monarchy for ten years Prachanda’s party CPN (MC) contested the election in alliance with the Nepali Congress, but the two parties were at loggerheads over who would lead the coalition government first. When this dispute could not be resolved till the end, a few hours before the deadline given by the President, Prachanda announced his exit from the alliance. Thereafter, things turned around quickly and with the support of Communist Party of Nepal (UML) leader KP Sharma Oli and other smaller parties, he staked claim to form the government. It has been agreed that Prachanda will be the PM for the first two and a half years of the five-year term and KP Sharma Oli for the subsequent two and a half years. Strange but true that last year, Prachanda had parted ways with Oli and backed Deuba for the PM’s post. Nepal is no stranger to power struggle and political instability. It’s rare for a PM to last more than two years in office. It remains to be seen if the Prachanda-Oli duo can provide a stable government. The developments have major implications for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi while congratulating Prachanda has said that the unique relationship between India and Nepal rests on the deep cultural connection between the two countries and the emotional attachment of the people on both sides. He also expressed the hope of further strengthening the friendship between the two countries. But beyond these formal statements, the truth is that both Oli and Prachanda are considered close to China. Oli’s previous tenure as Prime Minister was famous for his Chinese favoritism, decisions and statements inciting anti-India sentiments. However, even during that time, leaders like Prachanda were insisting on balancing the policies to a great extent. Then there is also the fact that this time there is no single party government. If the message of the election results is seen, then it is also clear that the anti-India sentiments could not get the majority, let alone the status of the largest party. That’s why there may be apprehensions in the mind of some observers, but there is no need to assume that the new government will follow the old customs and policies. But looking at the current equations between India and China, no negligence can be done on this front. In such a situation, India has to be careful while continuing its role of a liberal, good neighbour and close friend.
(Author is a columnist. The views expressed are personal opinion of the author. He can be reached at abhijitroytatanagar@gmail.com)
