External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj began her high-level meetings with top Nepal leadership soon after she arrived here on a two-day visit that she said was “devoid of any agenda”. Foreign ministry sources said they have not prepared any “structured” agenda for discussions with the minister’s team that includes foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale. Swaraj had a one-on-one meeting with K P Oli, chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist, and leader of the Left Alliance that won absolute majority in the parliamentary elections. Oli is likely to be the next Prime Minister of Nepal. The government formation, however, appears weeks away given the lack of clarity in the Constitution on many related issues. Oli hosted dinner for Swaraj, which was followed by a meeting with Madhes-based leaders. Swaraj is scheduled to meet Maoist chief Pushpa Kamal Dahal and meet PM Sher Bahadur Deuba over lunch, before she departs for Delhi. However, Nepali Congress leader Shekhar Koirala said Swaraj’s visit was ill-timed as the host country is awaiting government formation. Others are seeing the visit as an attempt to cajol Oli, who had publicly criticised New Delhi for interfering in Nepal’s internal matters and accused it of toppling his government last year.
