Nepal’s former Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, who died on Tuesday morning, will be accorded a state funeral on Wednesday. Dignitaries, including External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, paid last respects to him in Kathmandu on Tuesday.
Sitaram Yechury of CPI(M), Sharad Yadav of JD(U), Anand Sharma of the Congress party and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were also part of Ms. Swaraj’s delegation. Dr. Shekhar Koirala, one of the leading members of the Koirala dynasty and the Nepali Congress, acknowledged the warm gesture shown by Ms. Swaraj.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India lost “a valued friend”. “In Sushil Koirala ji, NC has lost a big leader who served Nepal for decades & India lost a valued friend. Pained by his demise. RIP,” he tweeted. However, despite his warm ties with the political class of India, Koirala’s tenure also witnessed tensions in India-Nepal ties. A blockade called by the Madhesi protesters against the new Constitution, which Mr. Koirala had helped in promulgating, froze Nepal’s economy and hurt bilateral ties. The blockade was lifted barely hours before his death.
Mr. Koirala, affectionately addressed as “Sushilda” by his followers, led Nepal at a turbulent time when the country was struggling to reach a consensus on a new Constitution. He eventually helped the members in the Constituent Assembly reach an agreement on the charter.
After leaving office on October 12, 2015, Mr. Koirala spent time negotiating an end to the blockade and helping the current Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to deal with the political and diplomatic crisis at home.
With the demise of Mr. Koirala, the future of the Nepali Congress appears uncertain as the National Convention of March 3 is eagerly awaited. There are indications that former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and veteran leader Ram Chandra Poudel are in contention to succeed Mr. Koirala.
