The BJP’s influence isn’t confined to India’s borders; it’s expanding its reach into neighboring countries like Nepal. The Nepal Janata Party (NJP) is a prime example of this cross-border influence.

Monica Verma, a geopolitics scholar, recently shared a tweet shedding light on the NJP. She posted a campaign poster featuring Anil Kumar Agrawal, who ran as a candidate in Nepal’s last Federal and provincial elections held in November 2022. Agrawal contested from Area no. 1 in Parsa district, Madhesh province.

Notably, the poster bears a saffron hue and depicts Agrawal in a blue shirt with folded hands. What’s intriguing is the prominent lotus symbol, reminiscent of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) logo, serving as the NJP’s election emblem. Below the lotus, the slogan reads ‘naye log, naye soch’ (new people, new thinking).

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Party leadership:

Leading the NJP is Tribhuvan Nath Pathak, who’s ardently campaigning to reinstate Nepal as a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu nation). He and other NJP members frequently meet with BJP leaders in neighboring Indian districts, particularly Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

During the federal and provincial elections, NJP member Jogi Puri, also known as Baba, underscored the importance of Nepal embracing Hindu Rashtra status to better represent the country’s Hindu majority.

However, this alignment with saffron politics has sparked considerable controversy and opposition within Nepal. Khem Nath Acharya, the senior vice-president of the NJP, firmly believes in the BJP’s ideology. He asserts that Nepal should embark on a revolutionary path toward becoming a Hindu nation.

Acharya recently visited Delhi as part of a delegation meeting with BJP leaders, including Union ministers. He frequently travels to India, participating in events organized by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a right-wing Hindu nationalist organization. In fact, Acharya credits the RSS for playing a pivotal role in the formation of the Nepal Janata Party.

The NJP’s journey reflects the cross-border political currents at play, as Nepal grapples with the dynamics of embracing or rejecting the saffronization sweeping across the region.