Nepal PM Prachanda likely to visit India in first foreign trip

Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' will visit India soon on his first foreign trip after assuming the top executive post of the country for the third time.

"I will be visiting India soon," PTI quoted him as telling to senior editors on Saturday during his first interaction with select journalists. "The concerned embassies are making preparations for my visit," he told the journalists at Baluwatar, the official residence of the Prime Minister. "We are working towards finalising the date and detailed programmes as well as the agenda of the visit in coordination with our counterparts," an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

"Visiting a neighbouring country by the Prime Minister after assuming the position is a normal process and internally we are always prepared for that," the official added. He had visited to India during his earlier tenures as the Prime Minister of Nepal.

In July last year, Prachanda visited India at the invitation of BJP President J P Nadda.

Nepali Prime Ministers traditionally choose New Delhi for their first foreign visit after being sworn-in. However, Prachanda had broken the tradition after being elected prime minister for the first time in 2008 as he visited Beijing for the Olympics inaugural ceremony without first travelling to India. He, however, in his second stint as a prime minister first travelled to India on a state visit in September, 2016. However, he is likely to visit India in late February or early March, Nepal-based media outlet, The Kathmandu Post, reported on Sunday. Prachanda's visit will happen only after the election of the new President, two leaders of the CPN (Maoist Centre) who are familiar with the developments told The Kathmandu Post newspaper.

"However, if the Indian side insists on the visit before the new President is elected, the trip may even take place earlier," one of them said. The presidential vote is due in February as the term of President Bidya Devi Bhandari expires in March-end. As per the Constitution, the election is held a month prior to the expiry of the incumbent's term. The 68-year-old CPN-Maoist Centre leader, thought to be close to China, was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third time on December 26 last year after he dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader K P Sharma Oli.