However according to observers, that shift is unlikely to fundamentally change the status quo, as Kathmandu has economic and security dependencies on both of the Asian powerhouses.

Professor Lin Minwang, deputy director of the Centre for South Asian Studies at Shanghai’s Fudan University, said Nepal’s foreign policy is one of “pragmatism”.

“In fact, no matter who becomes Nepal’s prime minister, Kathmandu’s policy towards China and India is very unlikely to change. All these politicians are getting more and more shrewd and pragmatic,” Lin said.

He added that Nepal’s constantly moving political landscape, with its frequent leadership changes, also makes it difficult to nurture any significant policy changes.

“This round of political change in Nepal is quite normal. Nepal hasn’t seen a full-term government for a long time,” he said. “Currently, Nepalese politicians have become less concerned with promoting their ideologies and more concerned over their party’s interests.”

In the past 16 years, Nepal has seen 14 such power shifts. Oli has been prime minister four times in 10 years; Dahal was prime minister three times.

Dr Amit Ranjan, a research fellow with the National University of Singapore’s Institute of South Asian Studies, said that while Nepal cannot afford to cross swords with either country, Kathmandu’s pro-China and pro-India governance is “interesting to watch”.

“[The Nepali Congress] is considered to be pro-India and Oli is considered to be pro-China. So it will be interesting to see how they are moving,” Ranjan said.

The landlocked South Asian country has long been considered by Delhi as falling within India’s sphere of influence. India borders Nepal on three sides and Kathmandu is heavily dependent on Delhi in terms of trade and energy supply.

03:14

Modi’s BJP claims ‘historic’ victory in Indian election despite smaller majority

Modi’s BJP claims ‘historic’ victory in Indian election despite smaller majority

Ranjan said that, historically, Nepal was more dependent on India, with long-held close ties that China cannot compete with.

Known as a friend of China, Oli also expressed Nepal’s willingness to cooperate with Beijing under the Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure project that Delhi has been critical of.

While Nepal joined the initiative in 2017, there have not been any belt and road projects started as Kathmandu has yet to sign the implementation agreement with Beijing. The possibility of Oli signing the plan is Delhi’s main worry, according to The Times of India.

But Ranjan doubted that Oli would make any aggressive moves given his new alliance with the India-leaning Nepali Congress.

“This is an unnatural alliance, as the two parties are completely different. They’re polar opposites. They are not ideologically or politically aligned; they have fought against each other. So it’s very difficult to manage,” he said.

Under the former government and the China-leaning Dahal, there were significant moves to align Nepal with China, with both Dahal and his foreign minister visiting Beijing.

According to Ranjan, while there was no problem with such actions under the previous alliance of two communist parties which share the same ideologies, under the new coalition with the Nepali Congress, those days are now over.