India positive about upcoming Nepal’s election: Deep Kumar Upadhyay

KATHMANDU, Oct 24: Former Envoy of Nepal to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyay has said that the Indian government is positive regarding the upcoming elections to House of Representatives and Provincial Assemblies being conducted in Nepal. The elections are scheduled for November 26 and December 7.

“India has always expressed its commitment to formally support and extend assistance in Nepal’s election. Therefore, we should not have any doubts regarding India’s intention towards Nepal,” said Upadhyay while speaking during an interaction program organized by the Reporters’ Club Nepal on Tuesday.

“Nepal’s election is Nepal and Nepali people’s duty. It is upon Nepali politicians and people to making the being carried out election successful,” he added.

Upadhyay also said that India has taken lightly the alliance among the communist parties on the eve of the elections. “India has taken the communist alliance as a problem,” he said.

Stating that democratic parties of Nepal are fighting for the democracy and people rather than the party, he expressed his confidence that people will vote democratic parties in the election.

On the occasion, he shared that he tendered his resignation from the post to participate in the upcoming elections. “I resigned from the post because my need is in the country itself,” he said.

Upadhyay resigned from the post on October 6. He was appointed as the ambassador to India from the Nepali Congress quota during the Sushil Koirala-led government in April, 2015. But he was recalled from the Delhi mission in May 2016 by the subsequent government led by the CPN-UML Chair KP Oli on charge that Upadhyay was working against the country’s interest.

He was later reappointed to the post by the next government led by CPN (Maoist Centre) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal in September, 2016. His resignation was approved by the cabinet on Monday.

“I went to India an ambassador in special request of the then Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala and the then President Ram Baran Yadav. I had even expressed my wish to return to politics then,” said Upadhyay who is a former lawmaker from Nepali Congress.

Upadhyay’s home district is Kapilvastu. Nepali Congress District Committee, Kapilvastu has even recommended his candidacy from Kapilvastu constituency 1.

“I decided to run the elections in request of the local people in his hometown and the party,” he said.

“I was born in Kapilvastu, thus I will contest the election from Kapilvastu. The rest depends on how the party takes my interest in this connection,” he added.