Kathmandu: Politics is slipping out of the hands of President Girija Prasad Koirala.

His number one rival, the incumbent Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, appears to have become closer to the Indian leadership as it became evident from the trip Deuba made last week.

Koirala must have inferred so many messages for him and his colleagues in the streets from the statements that the Indian leadership made during Deuba’s trip there and must have concluded that their dream to challenge the authority of the King will remain an utopia at least for some time to come.

President Koirala must have received a political jerk when he saw that his bete noir, Deuba, stole so many cards from under his sleeves, which he presumably wanted to use to settle the Maoists issue as per his declaration.

The strongest message that India has sent to the rebels and Koirala and his colleagues in the streets that henceforth India will not tolerate any clandestine efforts aimed at weakening the Nepali monarchy.

Nevertheless, Koirala is a different political stuff who at this age appears to have made up his mind that the rest of the years he would wage a sort of perennial battle against the King in order to what he calls bring the monarch under the constitution.

The King is silent but could have been listening to Koirala’s scathing criticisms being made against him.

Only the other day, Koirala once again reiterated that efforts were afoot to install him as the nation’s next prime minister and that he would not assume that post under the provisions of the controversial article 127.

In saying so, Koirala is sending signals to the palace that if the royalty devised some other schemes other than those of the 127, he was ready to assume the post pleasingly. This would further lead us to conclude that if the King managed friendly relations with him, Koirala might consider it a privilege and be ready to come to the rescue of the monarch from the attacks on the institution emanating as it does from various political quarters.

Be that as it may, analyzing Koirala recent political overtures and tour being made out of Kathmandu, what could be said of him is that the NC president finds himself as a lone crusader in his long march in what he claims “teaching” a lesson to the monarch. However, the fact is that Koirala is fighting this battle alone and apparently his former aide de camps too prefer now to keep themselves at a comfortable distance with their own leader for unknown reasons. This is a political loss for Koirala if it is in effect so and he is advised, analysts say, to revamp his own party so that the party emerges with greater strength to face the challenges posed to the party both by rival Deuba and other powerful quarters.

Koirala’s sagging morale is evident. His party is divided. Whatever is left in the party is in disarray. Sycophants loitering around Koirala are eating the party’s economic and political stamina both.

Crying foul against the monarch or Deuba will do little to enhance his towering political image.

Analysts in this background advise Koirala to act like a caretaker of the country’s politics, which is what his followers and common denizens alike expect from the septuagenarian leader of the congress.

Others say that Koirala can do more than Deuba in convincing the Maoists leaders. As a matter of fact Koirala’s dominating personality and his commitments to democratic ideals stand tall not only in this country but in the region as well which he could use in convincing the much junior leaders of the Maoists camp.

Koirala has one more advantage over Deuba. Koirala is still respected and honored in Delhi as was evident during his last trip to Delhi wherein he met practically all those leaders who received this time Deuba. This means that Koirala possesses still political leverage in the power corridors in Delhi which the Maoists understands better.

As a senior leader, Koirala can to a greater extent influence his friends in the Maoists camp and can manage a safe landing for the rebels. This Koirala should do and can do given the backdrop that both India and the United States appear hell bent on pouncing on the Maoists, at least this is what is being made to understand.

More over, if Koirala is a changed political personality, analysts hope, the King should not hesitate in greeting him as a senior politician of the country who have had the rare honor to work with the present King’s predecessors, beginning King Tribhuvan, King Mahendra and King Birendra. The monarch too should evaluate the contributions of the congress party, which all along championed the cause for the constitutional monarchy in the country.

All put together, analysts opine that Koirala has to patch up his differences with the King and vice versa which if materializes would mean a comparatively better future for Nepal. If the King softens his stance vis-à-vis Koirala will not only enhance his own image but would also find a place in the hearts of each and every congressmen.

If it does happen, the Maoists too perhaps wish to refrain from going in for an endless battle and join the political mainstream.

But then the question remains: Will Koirala or for that matter the King proceed as per the preferences of the lay men and the intellectuals alike?