Dahal's India visit

UCPN (M) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal is returning to Kathmandu on Monday after a week-long India visit.

Dahal met India's President Pranab Mukherje, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and some other senior Indian political leaders, and is apparently upbeat about the success of his visit.

Before wrapping up his visit, he told the Nepali media from Delhi: "The objective with which I came here has been achieved."

Dahal added: "I found Indian leaders positive about the progress that we have made in the constitution writing process, but they would like us to leave no stone unturned to engage all political forces." '

All Indian leaders reportedly uttered the phrase 'maximum consensus' with Dahal implying that a constitution without the participation of disgruntled Madhesi and Janjati leaders will be the seeds of another conflict. Dahal said: "I felt that India leaders believe everyone (including Madhesi/Janjati) will be happy if the new constitution is passed only after demarcating federal provinces, and I have taken their concerns positively."

Dahal has dubbed his India visit 'lively' and 'historic', but has faced criticism from his own party.

Maoist leaders close to UCPN (M) Vice Chair Baburam Bhattarai have criticised Dahal for bypassing the party's international bureau in his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi. "Because it was our party Chair's official India visit, a member of the international bureau should have been included in his delegation," said Debendra Poudel, a politburo member of the UCPN (M).

The UCPN (M) had endorsed agendas to be raised with India during Dahal's visit. But he refused to take along with him anyone from the party's international bureau. He was accompanied by his wife Sita Dahal when he met Modi.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mahendra Bahadur Pandey has also expressed his displeasure about Dahal's refusal to include Nepal's ambassador to India Deep Kumar Upadhyay in his delegation to Modi. Pandey told journalists in Kathmandu: "It is unfortunate that political leaders are themselves violating protocol."