KATHMANDU: Dr. Vijay Chauthaiwale, head of the Foreign Affairs Department of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is currently in Kathmandu on an unofficial visit, where he has held a series of one-on-one meetings with prominent Nepali political leaders from across the spectrum.

Dr. Chauthaiwale met former Prime Minister and Chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre), Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, for a courtesy call on Thursday. The meeting touched upon bilateral relations, regional developments, and party-to-party ties between the BJP and Nepal’s left-leaning parties.

In addition to Prachanda, Dr. Chauthaiwale also held separate meetings with senior leaders including Madhav Kumar Nepal, Chairman of the CPN (Unified Socialist); Janardan Sharma ‘Prabhakar’, senior Maoist Centre leader and former Finance Minister; and prominent Nepali Congress leaders Dr. Shekhar Koirala and Dr. Prakash Sharan Mahat.

Dr. Chauthaiwale had a luncheon conversation with Gagan Thapa, General Secretary of the Nepali Congres. The discussion reportedly covered political developments in both countries, regional cooperation, and broader democratic values.

Dr. Chauthaiwale shared updates on the meetings through his social media handle, describing the conversations as “engaging” and part of continued interaction with Nepali leaders from various political backgrounds.