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India Nepal Ties
Rastriya Swatantra Party's (RSP) prime ministerial candidate Balendra Shah on Tuesday expressed confidence in further deepening "historic" Nepal-India ties and making them more "outcome-oriented". The 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician is all set to become Nepal's first Madhesi prime minister and also the Himalayan nation's youngest elected executive head. Shah made the remarks in a social media post while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his wishes on the party's electoral success. "Thank you for the good wishes honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji," he said in the post. "I express my confidence that we will work together to further strengthen, deepen and make more outcome-oriented the historic, close, and multi-dimensional relations existing between Nepal and India in the coming days," he said. The RSP, formed in 2022, has won 125 of the 165 seats under direct voting in Nepal's parliamentary polls as vote counting under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to leaders of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) of Nepal Rabi Lamichhane and Balendra Shah and congratulated them for their election victory and conveyed India's commitment to work with them for mutual prosperity, progress and well-being of the two countries. In his telephonic conversations with the two leaders of Nepal, PM Modi said he was confident that with the joint endeavours, India-Nepal relations will scale new heights in the coming years. "Had warm telephone conversations with Mr. Rabi Lamichhane, Chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Mr. Balendra Shah, Senior Leader of the RSP," he said in a post on 'X'. The prime minister said he congratulated both leaders on their electoral victories and RSP's resounding success in the Nepal elections. "Conveyed my best wishes for their forthcoming new Government and India's commitment to work with them for mutual prosperity, progress and well-being of our two countries," he ...
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is heading towards a two-thirds majority in Nepal's parliamentary polls, securing 124 seats under direct voting and nearly 40 lakh votes under the proportionate-voting system as of 7 am on Monday. The RSP has won 124 seats and is leading in one seat, whereas the Nepali Congress (NC) has won 17 seats and is leading in one seat. The CPN-UML has won eight seats and is leading in one seat and the NCP has won seven seats. The Shram Sanskriti Party has won three seats, the RPP and Independent candidates have won one seat each. So far, the results for 161 of the 165 seats have been declared under direct voting. The outcome on the remaining four seats is expected to be declared in the afternoon. Under proportionate voting, the RSP has secured 37,89,803 votes, the NC 12,75,594, the CPN-UML 10,79,726, the NCP 5,55,300, the Shram Sanskriti Party 2,65,398, the Janata Samajwadi Party 1,16,463 and the Rastriya Parivartan Party has bagged 1,08,084 votes. Nepal i
Rastriya Swotantra Party is leading in 23 seats, while Nepali Congress and CPN-UML are leading in three each as per the preliminary election results. Vote counting started late on Thursday night, according to the Election Commission. Counting is expected to be completed by Friday night. Nepal witnessed about 60 per cent voter turnout during the elections to the House of Representatives on Thursday - the country's first polls since violent Gen Z protests that toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition government last year.
The India-Nepal border will remain closed from midnight of March 2 to midnight of 5 in view of the general elections scheduled in Nepal on March 5, officials said on Friday. Sudhir Sharma, in-charge of the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Rupaidiha, Bahraich, told PTI that Nepal's Ministry of Home Affairs has issued an official communication dated February 26 regarding the closure. According to the letter, all border outposts along the entire stretch of Banke district adjoining India will remain closed from 12 am on the intervening night of March 2 and 3 till 12 am on March 5 to ensure that the election process is conducted in a free, fair, fearless and credible environment. Sharma said that import and export of goods through the ICP would remain suspended during the period, but movement of essential medicines and other critical commodities will not be stopped. Commandant Ganga Singh Udawat of the 42nd Battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal said instructions have been issued to enforce ...
Hundreds of supporters gathered at the airport here on Friday, calling for the monarchy's restoration as Nepal's former King Gyanendra Shah arrived amidst tight security. "We want King Gyanendra back to save our nation," the loyalists chanted, carrying placards as the former monarch landed at the Kathmandu airport. The activists gathered at the airport despite the Kathmandu District Administration Office's prohibitory orders banning gatherings of more than five people in and around the Tribhuvan International Airport area. Nepal abolished monarchy in 2008, but pro-monarchy demonstrations resurfaced last year amid economic distress and political instability. There was a heavy deployment of security personnel in the surrounding area of the airport. Cadres of pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party, led by senior leader Kamal Thapa, and various other loyalist groups led by Navaraj Subedi and medical professional Durga Prasai, had gathered at the airport area since Friday ...
Nepal has eased restrictions on carrying high-denomination Indian currency in the Himalayan nation, ending a decade-long ban, according to an official statement. Individuals can hold Indian banknotes of Rs 200 and Rs 500 up to a maximum limit of INR 25,000 per person. The decision was made during Monday's cabinet meeting, according to cabinet sources. Under the revised provision, both Nepali and Indian citizens may bring the higher denomination bank notes into Nepal from India or carry them from Nepal to India. The Cabinet decision on Monday follows amendments by the Reserve Bank of India to the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) Regulations, 2015. The amendment permits Indian, Nepali and Bhutanese nationals to carry higher-denomination Indian currency while travelling to and from India. According to Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) spokesperson Guru Prasad Paudel, once the government decision is published in Nepal gazette, NRB will issue a circular to this effect
Nepal's central bank on Thursday issued new Rs 100 denomination bank notes that have a revised map of the country, including the controversial Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura territories, termed as artificial enlargement by India. The new note from the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) bears the signature of previous Governor Maha Prasad Adhikari. The date of issuance of the bank note is mentioned as 2081 BS, which denotes the previous year, 2024. During the Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli-led government, Nepal had updated the map, comprising Kalapani, Lipulek and Limpiyadhura territories, through a Parliament endorsement in May 2020. Clarifying the matter regarding the updated version of map, an NRB spokesperson said that the map is already there in the old Rs 100 bank note and it has been revised as per the government's decision. Among various denominations of bank notes such as Rs 10, Rs 50, Rs 500, and Rs 1,000, only the bank note with Rs 100 denomination bears the map of Nepal, others
Heads of the security forces of India and Nepal will hold their annual border talks here from Wednesday over a host of issues related to curbing trans-frontier crimes and sharing of real-time intelligence inputs. This will be the first time that the two forces -- Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the Armed Police Force (APF) of Nepal -- will have a top-level meeting after the 'Gen Z' driven violent protests that rocked Kathmandu in September. The 9th annual coordination meeting will be held between November 12-14, an official statement said. The Indian side will be led by SSB Director General (DG) Sanjay Singhal, while the Nepalese delegation is headed by APF Inspector General (IG) Raju Aryal. The deliberations are expected to lay "special emphasis" on developing effective mechanisms for joint prevention of trans-border crimes, establishing faster and more efficient channels for real-time information sharing and reinforcing coordinated border management practices to ensure peace and .
India on Sunday assured to help in reconstruction of various structures damaged during the Gen Z protests earlier in the month, if Nepal made a request. Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava, during a meeting with Nepal's Energy Minister Kulman Ghising at the latter's office at Singhdurbar here mainly discussed bilateral cooperation on energy and water resources and reviewed progress of various projects being undertaken under NepalIndia cooperation, the sources at the ministry said. Indian ambassador Srivastava said that India is ready to extend help in the reconstruction of various structures damaged during the Gen Z protests, if Nepal makes a request, the sources added. During the courtesy call on Ghising, who also holds the Water Resources and Urban Development & Physical Infrastructure portfolios, the Indian ambassador congratulated the Nepali minister for his new charge and also discussed additional electricity exports from Nepal to India. Sushila Karki, who leads the interim ..
Nepal's deposed prime minister K P Sharma Oli on Friday denied that he had given any shooting orders during the 'Gen Z' demonstrations, saying bullets were fired at protesters from automatic guns that the police did not possess and called for a probe into the matter. In his first public statement since his ouster on September 9, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) chairman blamed the infiltrators for the violence during the "peaceful protest" by Gen-Z. The government didn't order to shoot at the demonstrators, 73-year-old Oli said in a message issued on the occasion of Constitution Day. The bullets were fired at the protesters from automatic guns, which were not possessed by the police personnel, and this must be investigated, Oli said. Seventy-four people, including 3 policemen, were among the dead during the youth-led violent protests on September 8 and 9 against corruption and a ban on social media. Claiming that there was "infiltration" in the "peaceful ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to his Nepalese counterpart Sushila Karki and reaffirmed India's steadfast support for her efforts to restore peace and stability. In a post on X, Modi said that during his conversation with Karki, he conveyed his heartfelt condolences on the recent tragic loss of lives during violent protests in the neighbouring country. "Had a warm conversation with Mrs. Sushila Karki, Prime Minister of the Interim Government of Nepal. Conveyed heartfelt condolences on the recent tragic loss of lives and reaffirmed India's steadfast support for her efforts to restore peace and stability," Modi said. "Also, I extended warm greetings to her and the people of Nepal on their National Day tomorrow," he said. Last week, Nepal witnessed violent protests that led to the ouster of prime minister K P Sharma Oli. During the agitation led by the Gen Z group, protesters set fire to houses of political leaders, important government buildings, including the ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Sushila Karki on taking oath as the prime minister of an interim government in Nepal, and underscored India's commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of the people of the neighbouring country. Modi posted the message on X, a day after former chief justice Karki took oath as Nepal's first woman prime minister to lead an interim government, ending days of political uncertainty after the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli following widespread protests. President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office to Karki, 73, at the President's Office.