Vote and Voting

India on Friday rubbished reports that the recent visit of dethroned King Gyanendra to India was aimed at restoring the 240-year-old-monarchy, which was abolished in Nepal last year.

I don’t think there was any political game involved in the visit of ex-King Gyanendra to India, Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood told reporters on Friday.
Gyanendra is a Nepalese citizen and had been to India on a private visit, he said, adding he has the right to visit the neighbouring country.
There were media reports in Kathmandu that Gyanendra’s India visit was aimed at seeking New Delhi's support to restore the monarchy by installing a 'Baby King'.
Top Maoist leader Baburam Bhattarai, who is also the Finance Minister in the CPN-Maoist-led coalition government, had alleged that Gyanendra’s visit to India was an attempt to seek New Delhi's support to install his grandson Hridayendra as the new heir.
Gyanendra, who spent three weeks in India in connection with a wedding ceremony in Bhopal, had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Karan Singh and other top political leaders.
Indian envoy Sood also said the visit of former Prime Minister G P Koirala to New Delhi was mainly to have a medical check up. Sood said Koirala held meetings with Indian leaders there and was satisfied with the visit.
The envoy was responding to questions by reporters at a function in Kathmandu to distribute scholarship to students. Sood distributed certificates of merits to Nepalese students under the 'Golden Jubilee Scholarship Scheme' launched by the India in 2002 to mark the 50th years of Economic Cooperation between Nepal and India.