New Delhi: Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' arrived in the national capital on Sunday and received a warm welcome from authorities ahead of PM-designate Narendra Modi's swearing-in ceremony at 7:15 pm today. Prachanda is among the several foreign dignitaries including Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina and Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu to be invited in the event.
The Nepal PM was received by P Kumaran, the Officer on Special Duty (ER and DPA) division of the Ministry of External Affairs. Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that the visit of Nepal PM showcases the unique ties between the two nations.
Earlier in the day, Dahal departed for India from the VVIP terminal of the Tribhuvan International Airport. He was accompanied by his daughter Ganga Dahal, Nepal's Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Padam Giri, Nepal's Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal, Head of South Asia Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bhrigu Dhungana, Chief of Protocol Bishnu Prasad Gautam, Protocol Officer Prabin Bhattarai and three security personnel of the Prime Minister
PM Modi will assume office as prime minister for a third consecutive term as the BJP-led NDA secured 293 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. In the 543-strong lower house of the Indian parliament, 272 is the minimum majority figure. He is the second leader after first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to win a third consecutive term.
Other foreign leaders in New Delhi
Earlier, Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu, accompanied by a high-level Maldivian delegation, arrived in New Delhi on Sunday morning to attend the swearing-in ceremony of PM-designate Modi. Maldivian officials in Male confirmed that Muizzu, along with the country's foreign minister and a couple of other leaders, would be travelling to New Delhi for the first time to attend the ceremony, despite strained relations in the past.
The guest list of foreign leaders for Modi's swearing-in ceremony was primarily guided by New Delhi's "Neighbourhood First Policy" and its strategic focus on island nations considered important in the Indian Ocean region, it is learnt. The ties between India and the Maldives came under severe strain since November last year when Muizzu, known for his pro-China leanings, demanded the expulsion of Indian military personnel from the country.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had already arrived in New Delhi on Saturday ahead of the ceremony. Hasina left Dhaka on a special flight at around 11 am on Saturday and will remain here in the national capital until the afternoon of June 9. She will return home on Monday. According to Press Minister to the Bangladeshi High Commission Shaban Mahmood, both leaders are expected to hold an important meeting on the sidelines of the swearing-in ceremony.
The leaders of regional grouping SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries attended Modi's first swearing ceremony when he took the reins as the prime minister after a massive electoral victory for BJP. Leaders of the BIMSTEC countries attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony, in 2019 when he became prime minister for the second consecutive term.
(with agency inputs)
