India Welcomes Successful Nepal Polls
New Delhi: India on March 5 welcomed the successful conduct of parliamentary elections in Nepal, congratulating Prime Minister Sushila Karki and the Nepali government for holding the polls despite the political turmoil of the past year.
"We welcome the successful conduct of elections and the exercise of their democratic mandate by the citizens of Nepal today, which have seen an enthusiastic participation," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a statement on Thursday night.
He congratulated the interim prime minister Sushila Karki, the government and the people of Nepal, as well as various stakeholders, for successfully holding the polls, which took place "against the backdrop of exceptional circumstances last year."
India also noted that it had provided logistical supplies to Nepal for the elections at the request of the Kathmandu government, in keeping with what Jaiswal described as New Delhi's consistent support for "peace, progress and stability in Nepal."
The statement said India looks forward to working with the new government in Kathmandu to further build on the "robust multifaceted ties" between the two countries.
Thursday's election was Nepal's first nationwide vote since a youth-led uprising ousted the government of K.P. Oli in September last year.
Turnout stood at roughly 60%, with only sporadic incidents reported in a few districts, according to Nepal's acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari.
Counting was expected to begin Thursday night, with results anticipated by the weekend.
The election is widely seen as a three-way contest among the Rastriya Swantantra Party, the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). RSP, whose prime ministerial candidate is rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, is considered the front-runner, drawing heavily on voter frustration over corruption and poor governance that had fuelled the 2025 protests.
A total of 18.9 million voters were eligible to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives. Of these, 165 seats are filled through direct elections and the remaining 110 through proportional representation.
The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
