The Nepalese ambassador to India, Deep Kumar Upadhyay, is planning to contest the general election of the Himalayan country to be held later this year.
Speaking to The Hindu , the envoy said he would like to contest from Kapilavastu, his native place on a Nepali Congress ticket. “I have decided to return to the Nepali Congress which is my natural political party. I have worked for years for the party and then joined diplomatic service. I hope to return to a public life now,” said Mr. Upadhyay, who has served as a Minister previously in Kathamandu.
Nepal, which has introduced a three-tier election system this year, is expected to complete the polling process by December, with a new government taking charge soon thereafter. Mr. Upadhyay said the decision to enter politics was not sudden and that he held a discussion on this with the top leaders of the Nepali Congress.
“I have discussed my future in politics with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during his recent visit to India,” Mr. Upadhyay said. His stint as an ambassador started during the latest tenure of Prime Minister Sushil Koirala in 2015, when the country witnessed the Madhesi protests.
