Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that he congratulated his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba on winning the vote of confidence in the country’s parliament.
PM Modi said that both leaders will work together to further enhance the wide-ranging cooperation between the two countries, including in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Spoke with Nepal PM Sher Bahadur Deuba to convey my congratulations and best wishes. We will work together to further enhance the wide-ranging cooperation between India and Nepal, including in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic," PM Modi tweeted.
Sher Bahadur Deuba, the 75-year-old President of the Nepali Congress, won a trust vote in the reinstated lower House of Representatives, averting a general election in the Himalayan nation amidst the pandemic.
Deuba, who was appointed as the prime minister on July 12 following the Supreme Court's intervention, secured 165 votes in the 275-member House on Sunday.
A total of 136 votes were required for Deuba to win Parliament's confidence. He had to seek a trust vote within one month after being appointed as prime minister. However, in a surprise move, he sought a vote of confidence on the first day of the reinstatement of the House.
Deuba's failure to win the trust vote in the House would have led to the dissolution of the House and snap polls within six months in Nepal, which is facing an unprecedented health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sunday's outcome of the trust vote paves the way for Prime Minister Deuba to remain in office for next one and half year, until fresh parliamentary election is held, the Nepalese media reported.
Previously, Deuba has served as the prime minister on four occasions; first from 1995 to 1997, then from 2001 to 2002, again from 2004 to 2005, and from 2017 to 2018.
(With inputs from Agencies)
