Nepal reappoints Upadhyay as envoy to India

The Nepal government on Thursday reappointed Deep Kumar Upadhyay as the country's envoy to India. Upadhyay was Nepal's ambassador to India since April 2015 but the previous K.P. Sharma Oli government had recalled him in May.

Upadhyay's reappointment comes at a time when both Nepal and India are planning high-level visits.

Nepal is also sending former Chief Secretary Leela Mani Paudyal as the country's ambassador to China.

These are the first ambassadorial appointments by the Maoist Centre-Nepali Congress government, which had withdrawn the 14 ambassadorial nominations made by the previous Oli government.

The Oli government had called back Upadhyay charging him with "playing a role in toppling the government".

The key ruling parties -- the CPN (Maoist Centre) and Nepali Congress -- have split the ambassadorial positions in China and India, respectively.

The Nepali Congress has friendly ties with India and got the New Delhi quota, while the Maoists have got China.

A former minister, Upadhyay was recalled in May ahead of a scheduled visit of Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari to India which was later cancelled.

The new Nepal government, which sent two Deputy Prime Ministers to China and India as special representatives, is keen to appoint envoys to Beijing and New Delhi at the earliest in view of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's scheduled visits to these capitals.

(Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com)

--IANS

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