Maoists win, India uncomfortable
maoists won in the recent Nepal elections. With 220 seats in the 601-member constituent assembly, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) came out as the single largest party and the party leader, Prachanda, is now all set to head the next government. The outcome appears to have caught many key international players, including India, unawares.
Soon after winning the election, Prachanda said he wanted "constructive' relations with India. He, however, announced that his party wanted to scrap the Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed by Nepal and India in 1950, which among other issues, also defines the security relations between the two governments. The party has long condemned the treaty as "unequal pact'. Prachanda also said that his party would like to review other major bilateral pacts, including the Integrated Mahakali Treaty, which details the sharing of waters of the Mahakali or Sharda river for irrigation and hydel power.
Prachanda ruled out fears that the Maoists' rule will lead to nationalization of major industries and economic hubs, and assured that his party will work with the private sector to create a friendly environment for foreign investment. The new government's priority would be to bring about "economic revolution' by promoting capitalism, he said.
There are also concerns that the Maoist's win in Nepal may embolden the ongoing Maoist movement in India.