Kathmandu : The Chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre) Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka Prachanda left for New Delhi on Friday afternoon on a three-day visit.
His secretariat said that Prachanda is visiting India on the invitation of BJP President J.P. Nadda.
As the visit comes soon after the visit of Chinese leaders to Kathmandu, Prachanda, ahead of leaving for New Delhi, said that his visit to New Delhi is not a sudden. A lot of speculations were reported in Nepali media about his India visit.
"Though it is seen like I am suddenly going to India, it was planned long ago," said Prachanda.
In India, Prachanda is expected to meet Nadda, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, among others.
He is also scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday before returning to Nepal, but there is no official confirmation on this.
Former Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Vinay Mohan Katwara, who is the Foreign Secretary of India now, had extended an invitation to Prachanda one -and-a-half months back, Prachanda's personal aide Ramesh Malla said. At that time, it was communicated that the visit could be possible in the second week of July.
--- IANS