Nepal's former PM leaves for India, to meet Sonia Gandhi

KATHMANDU: Former Prime Minister of Nepal and senior leader of CPN-UML Madhav Kumar Nepal left for New Delhi today for a five day-visit during which he will hold talks with top Indian leadership.

Nepal will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President of Indian National Congress Sonia Gandhi, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and senior leaders of various political parties during his visit.

Nepal is also scheduled to attend a function organised by the Nalanda University and will meet Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

"My visit will naturally help in strengthening bilateral relations and promote cooperation between the two countries," Nepal said before his departure.

"India has been providing necessary support and assistance to Nepal in the constitution making process and the Constituent Assembly elections and I hope that the cooperation will continue in future," Nepal said.

"We are expecting goodwill and help from all the international communities including India to smoothly conduct the elections," he added.

Ishwor Pokharel, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), will accompany him during the visit.