'Best Option To Safeguard Democracy': NSA Ajit Doval Meets Former Nepal PM Prachanda Ahead Of Polls

Last Updated:January 05, 2026, 18:26 IST

NSA Ajit Doval's meeting with former Nepal PM Prachanda focused on safeguarding the country's democracy through immediate elections that have been announced for March 5

NSA Ajit Doval met former Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' in New Delhi on January 4. (Image: PTI/File)

India gave its support to the upcoming general elections in neighbouring Nepal, which has witnessed political instability after the ‘Gen Z’ protests last year, even as national security adviser Ajit Doval met the country’s former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as Prachanda.

Doval’s meeting with Prachanda in New Delhi took place late on Sunday (January 4), and focused on safeguarding Nepal’s democracy through immediate elections that the country has announced for March 5.

Doval hosted the dinner meeting at a hotel for Prachanda, who is the leader of the Nepal Communist Party. The high-level meeting served as a critical platform to address the current political situation in Nepal and the strategic necessity of the upcoming polls.

The primary focus of the dialogue was the implementation of general elections as the fundamental solution to the country’s political transition. This meeting comes at a sensitive time following the fall of the KP Sharma Oli government following the ‘Gen Z’ protests last year.

According to sources, the discussions centred on the fact that Nepal has already announced election dates. In light of this, Doval suggested that the country should immediately go for elections to resolve the existing impasse, they said.

The sources told News18 that India’s position, as articulated by Doval, is that holding these elections is not merely a procedural requirement but a vital necessity for national stability. India expressed a firm commitment to the protection of Nepal’s democratic framework, they said.

They said Doval reportedly told Prachanda that elections are the only way to protect the political system and that India also wants the same stability for its neighbour. He stressed that a democratic mandate through the ballot box remains the best option to safeguard democracy, they added.

In response to India’s focus on Nepal’s electoral path, Prachanda provided assurances regarding the internal consensus in his country, the sources said. He told Doval that the political parties are not opposed to elections, they said.

Prachanda said before his arrival in New Delhi, he had engaged in high-level domestic consultations, specifically a meeting with CPN-UML chairperson KP Sharma Oli, they said. This suggests a broader attempt to synchronise the views of Nepal’s major political factions before engaging with Indian leadership.

Prachanda attended the meeting with Doval alongside his daughter Ganga.

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