New Delhi: A political party with the lotus as its election symbol and a Hindu Rashtra as its ultimate goal. Sound familiar?
No, it’s not the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This is the Nepal Janata Party (NJP), a Nepalese political outfit inspired by the growth and the trajectory of India’s BJP that’s now planning to expand its base in the Himalayan country.
In Nepal’s politics, which is primarily dominated by Left and Centre-Left parties, the NJP stands apart because of its Hindutva credentials. The party has been making plans to contest the 2027 general election in Nepal after having won 17 seats in local elections last year.
Earlier this month, the NJP’s 46-year-old senior vice-president, Khem Nath Acharya, visited Delhi. In the national capital, he met BJP leaders including party chief J.P. Nadda, general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh, Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal. He also met yoga guru Ramdev’s associate Bal Krishna and a number of leaders in Delhi and Haryana.
This story was originally published in theprint.in. Read the full story here