Heading into the single-phase federal and provincial elections on November 20, speculations about foreign meddling are rife. New Delhi would like to see the continuity of the current five-party coalition. This is also something that has been clearly conveyed to senior Nepali Congress and CPN (Maoist Center) leaders during their recent trips to BJP headquarters.

If PM Deuba’s relations with New Delhi are pally, he has even better ties with Washington DC. He spent considerable political capital in pushing the MCC compact through the parliament, and he was keen on the passage of the IPS-linked State Partnership Program (SPP)—perhaps he still is. It is unclear what the government has written in its letter to the US on the SPP: has Nepal given up on the program for good or it is only a temporary pullout? Things should get clearer during the PM’s (long-delayed) US trip.

Meanwhile, our foreign minister Narayan Khadka visited Beijing, in what many saw as a sign of a thaw in Nepal-China relations. There have been a spate of bilateral visits and the two countries’ dispute-resolution mechanisms have also been activated. But Beijing still doubts the overtures of the ‘anti-China’ government in Kathmandu. While Khadka was in Beijing, Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, sought from him Nepal’s support for China’s position on Taiwan. In fact, China has been seeking similar support over Taiwan from countries the world over. The Chinese will not desist from some arm-twisting if that is what it takes.

In these times of pitched geopolitical battles, could big powers also try to somehow meddle in elections? “It is up to Nepali voters to choose their government,” says political analyst Chandra Dev Bhatta. But the outside forces can certainly try to influence elections, for instance “by helping with the formation of certain electoral alliances.” It is indeed strange that while elections should be the sole focus of the caretaker government, all kinds of foreign trips and adventures are being undertaken.