Prachanda in Kathmandu on Thursday. (AP)

Kathmandu, April 24 (PTI): The Maoists plan to scrap the 58-year-old Indo-Nepal peace and friendship treaty and replace it with a pact that will reflect new realities.

They also decided to review all other bilateral agreements between the two countries.

“Our past policy towards the 1950 treaty remains unchanged, we want to scrap that treaty and replace it with a new one in the changed context,” Maoist chief Prachanda said as the former rebels won the most seats in the country’s new governing Assembly, taking more than double the number of their nearest rival.

“We also want to review all other treaties signed between Nepal and India,” the 54-year-old former school teacher said.

During the election campaign, the Maoists had said that the treaty was “unequal” and needs to be repealed. The demand for an end of the agreement was raised in Nepal eight years ago.

Under the pact, people living in India and Nepal can freely travel across the border for employment.

There is a termination clause in the treaty and Nepal can do away with the agreement, which is actually meant to address India’s security needs, if it is uncomfortable.

“I think a new dimension has now been added to our relations with india,” Prachanda said.

“If we consider the situation right from the signing of the 12-point agreement with the seven-party alliance in Delhi in November 2005 and now when the Constituent Assembly polls have been successfully concluded, an atmosphere has been created to forging a new unity on a new basis with India,” he said.

“We believe that in this new context Nepal-India relation should be taken to a new height in a more positive and constructive way,” the Maoist chief said. However, Prachanda said he had no immediate plan to visit India. “I have not yet decided about visiting India at the moment,” he said.

A hung House is the likely outcome of the Constituent Assembly polls after no party secured a clear majority.

The overall Maoists’ seat tally is expected to be 218, more than double the number of their nearest rival, Nepal Congress, after the counting of ballot papers for 575 seats of the 601-strong Constituent Assembly was completed late last night. The remaining 26 members in the Assembly will be nominated by the new cabinet.

Under the proportionate or indirect voting for 335 seats, the Maoists received a total of 3.14 million votes or 29.28 per cent of the 10.74 million votes cast. The Nepali Congress came second with 2.27 million or 21.14 per cent votes while the CPN-UML was in third position with 2.18 million or 20.33 per cent votes.