2024-07-22 14:46:51
KathmanduAfter Pushpa Kamal Dahal stepped down from the post of PM in Nepal, a new government has been formed under the leadership of KP Sharma Oli. On July 15, KP Sharma Oli took oath as the new Prime Minister of Nepal. This is Oli’s fourth term as PM. Oli is running a coalition government with the support of the Nepali Congress, the largest party in the current Parliament. If we look at Oli’s politics and ideology, he has been known for his anti-India and anti-West stance. Oli has taken an ultra-nationalist stance in Nepal’s politics. He has also been clearly inclined towards China.
Firstpost has reported on this while talking to Rishi Gupta, who works at the Asia Society Policy Institute. According to the report, Oli has been the PM of Nepal thrice before. During his last three tenures, Oli has advocated improving relations with China. This time too, he is expected to move forward with the same approach. Oli’s party CPN-UML also maintains constant engagement with the Communist Party of China. In August last year, a delegation of CPN-UML also held a meeting with senior members of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) in Beijing.
Relations with India soured during Oli’s time
Oli has left no stone unturned to derail Nepal-India relations while in power. He used the 2015 border blockade issue to organise anti-India protests in Nepal. In 2016 he visited China and signed a transit treaty to conduct his country’s trade using Chinese ports located 4,500 km from the capital Kathmandu to reduce Nepal’s dependence on Indian ports located 500 km away. However, the transit treaty with China proved to be a mere political gimmick, with not a single container being imported through Chinese ports till date.
Oli also continued to attack socio-cultural relations and in 2019-20, Kathmandu escalated the border dispute with India. The politicization of the border dispute has helped Oli to form a dedicated nationalist approach. At the same time, China has also constantly tried to incite anti-India sentiment in Nepal. In such a situation, Oli will change Nepal’s foreign policy approach in his tenure and give priority to China. Nepal’s new foreign policy can create problems not only for India but also for America.