Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah sent his Chief Advisor, Kumar Byanjankar (Ben), to New Delhi for a reported meeting with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval earlier this month. Byanjankar, a trusted aide of Prime Minister Shah since his time as the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, reportedly had a one-on-one meeting with Doval during the first week of July. This meeting raised eyebrows as Shah has been avoiding direct engagement with foreign diplomats due to diplomatic protocol concerns.
Rabi Lamichhane, President of Nepal’s ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), was reportedly aware of Byanjankar’s confidential visit to New Delhi. Despite the secrecy surrounding the meeting, Byanjankar denied reports of his trip to India and meetings with senior Indian officials. Prime Minister Shah’s reluctance to engage directly with foreign diplomats has also led to uncertainties regarding his proposed visit to India, despite an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Amid Nepal’s delicate balancing act between India and China, Prime Minister Shah is gearing up to separately meet the Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, and the Chinese Ambassador to Nepal, Zhang Maoming. Departing from traditional diplomatic norms, Shah has refrained from one-on-one meetings with foreign envoys, opting for joint meetings instead. This shift in approach has garnered mixed reactions, with some questioning its long-term implications on Nepal’s national interests.
