With Nepal's new Government set to take control, India on Thursday said it is looking forward to work with the new regime in Kathmandu and take forward the partnership.
“India welcomes the conduct of Parliamentary elections and first ever Provincial elections in Nepal. We congratulate the Government and the people of Nepal. India has age-old, unique, time tested ties of friendship with Nepal. We look forward to working with the next democratically elected Government in Nepal to advance our close and multifaceted partnership across all sectors and to support Nepal in its pursuit of peace, stability, economic prosperity and all round development,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said KP Oli is expected to take over as the new Prime Minister of Nepal after the left alliance swept the polls. Oli's party CPN-UMl scored the highest in the left alliance.
Oli was earlier PM of Nepal from October 2015 to August 2016 during which the warmth in India-Nepal relations suffered a dip over the new Constitution and economic blockage due to Madhesi protests.
Oli blames India for the blockage and However, Oli had to quit office after the Maoist leader Pushp Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ withdrew support from the coalition Government.
Oli is perceived to be having a pro-China tilt which was also evident during his election campaigns where he called for the extension of the Chinese railway network into Nepal and implementation of hydroelectric, airport and other infrastructure projects by Chinese assistance to create jobs. However, given the nature of India-Nepal relations, Governments in Nepal have ensured over the years that the partnership continues to grow.