Kathmandu: Maoist chief Prachanda who is known for his-anti India stance was elected as Nepal’s Prime Minister on Wednesday with the support of largest party Nepali Congress. He won 363 votes out of the 573 cast in the 595-member parliament.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by his nom de guerre Prachanda or "the fierce one", led a decade-long Maoist insurgency before transforming the rebel movement into a political party after a 2006 peace deal.
"I pledge that I will unite everyone in the country," he said in an address to parliament ahead of the vote.
"I have a responsibility to solve this problem. I feel that I have been put forward as a candidate to work as a bridge between (communities)," he said.
Read: Madhesis to extend outside support to new Nepal government
It is Prachanda's second time as prime minister of the Himalayan nation. His first tenure ended in 2009 when he resigned over differences with the president on the sacking of an army chief.
Dahal led a communist insurgency against the government for a decade until 2006, when the rebels signed a UN-monitored peace agreement. More than 17,000 people were killed during the insurgency.
Read: Prachanda from guerrilla chief to Nepal Prime Minister
He had filed his nomination on Tuesday for the election that is expected to bring political stability to the country.
Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba had proposed the 61-year-old CPN-Maoist Centre president as the candidate for new Prime Minister, while Maoist leader Krishna Bahadur Mahara seconded Deuba.
Read: Narendra Modi speaks to Prachanda, assures India's full support
Three Madhesi leaders - Upendra Yadav of Social Forum-Nepal, Sarvendra Nath Shukla of Tarai Madhesh Democratic Party and Laxman Lal Karna of Sadbhawana Party – had supported Prachanda's candidacy.
The Madhesi alliance decided to support Prachanda's candidacy after a 3-point agreement with the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN (Maoist Centre) but will not join the government, Karna said.
Read: 'Punished for doing good work,' says Nepal PM Oli as he resigns from top job
Nepal was faced with a fresh political turmoil after embattled premier KP Oli resigned from the top job on July 24.
Oli tendered his resignation after two key ruling alliance partners - Madhesi People's Rights Forum-Democratic and Rastriya Prajatantra Party - decided to support the no-confidence motion tabled against him by the Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN-Maoist Centre led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.
