India has reason to be concerned about Oli's ascension to power. Though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has extended his greetings to Oli, it is well-known that Oli is closer to China than India. He has campaigned against India’s policy towards Nepal, projecting India as an irksome big brother intent on dominating the region. During his premiership, he did a lot to create divisions between the two nations. Suddenly, in 2020, he made a geographical claim that was as unexpected as it was baseless. One redeeming feature is that Oli heads a coalition government in which the larger party, the Nepali Congress, has a long history of collaborating with India. When the party was harassed by the King, its leaders, especially those belonging to the Koirala family, sought sanctuary in India. It understands better the need for strong India-Nepal relations.