Ministerial offices


Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal
In office 2006–2007 Serving with Amik Sherchan
Prime Minister	Girija Prasad Koirala
Preceded by	Bharat Mohan Adhikari
Succeeded by	Bamdev Gautam
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 2006–2007
Prime Minister	Girija Prasad Koirala
Preceded by	Ramesh Nath Pandey
Succeeded by	Sahana Pradhan
Minister of Home Affairs
In office 1994–1995
Prime Minister	Man Mohan Adhikari
Preceded by	Sher Bahadur Deuba
Succeeded by	Khum Bahadur Khadka

Senior party positions

Chairman of CPN (UML)
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 March 2021
Preceded by	Position established (Party revived as per a Supreme Court verdict)
In office 2014–2018
Preceded by	Jhala Nath Khanal
Succeeded by	Position abolished (himself as chairman of the Nepal Communist Party)
Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party
In office 17 May 2018 – 8 March 2021 Serving with Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded by	Position established (New party)
Succeeded by	Position abolished (Party dissolved as per a Supreme Court verdict)

Parliamentary offices


Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 March 2018
Preceded by	Keshav Kumar Budhathoki (as member of the Legislature Parliament)
Constituency	Jhapa 5
In office 1999–2008
Preceded by	Chandra Prakash Mainali
Succeeded by	Gauri Shankar Khadka (as member of the 1st Constituent Assembly)
Constituency	Jhapa 2
In office 1991–1999
Preceded by	Constituency created
Succeeded by	Gopal Prasad Koirala
Constituency	Jhapa 6
Member of the Constituent Assembly / Legislature Parliament
In office 21 January 2014 – 14 October 2017
Preceded by	Bishwodip Lingden Limbu
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Constituency	Jhapa 7

Personal details

Born

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli

22 February 1952 (age 73)
Iwa, Kingdom of Nepal

Political party

CPN (UML) (1991–2018; 2021–present)

Other political
affiliations

CPN (ML) (1978–1991)
NCP (2018–2021)

Spouse

Radhika Shakya

(m. 1987)

Parents

Mohan Prasad Oli
Madhumaya Oli

Signature

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli (Nepali: खड्ग प्रसाद शर्मा ओली; born 22 February 1952), known as K. P. Sharma Oli, is a well-known Nepalese politician. He is currently serving as the Prime Minister of Nepal since 15 July 2024.

He has been the Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) since 2014. Before his current role, he served as prime minister two other times. His first term was from October 2015 to August 2016, and his second was from February 2018 to July 2021. He has also been a Member of Parliament for Jhapa 5 since 2017.

During his time as prime minister, Oli worked to improve Nepal's relationship with China. This was an alternative to Nepal's usual close trade ties with India. He also updated Nepal's map to include areas that were disputed with India. This action made him popular with some people in Nepal who saw him as a nationalist.

Early Life and School
Starting His Political Journey
- Early Days (1970–1991)
- Becoming a Parliament Member (1991–2015)
Serving as Prime Minister
Political Beliefs
- Nepal's Relations with India
- Views on Government Structure
Electoral History
Personal Life
- Health
See also

Early Life and School

K.P. Sharma Oli was born on 22 February 1952 in a place called Iwa in Tehrathum. His father, Mohan Prasad Oli, was a farmer. When Oli was four years old, his mother, Madhumaya Oli, sadly passed away from smallpox.

His family moved to Surungwa, Jhapa, in 1958. After floods, they lost their land, and Oli went to live with his grandparents. Later, in 1962, his family moved to Garamani, Jhapa. He finished his main school exams, called the SLC, in 1970. While in Jhapa, he became interested in politics and was influenced by local movements.

Starting His Political Journey

Early Days (1970–1991)

When he was 18 in 1970, Oli joined a local political group. He was arrested that same year for his political activities. His group later joined a bigger communist party. In 1972, he became a leader in a committee for the Jhapa rebellion.

Oli believed in growing the group and getting public support. However, other members wanted to use armed struggle. In February 1973, he was removed from his leadership role. The next month, a close relative who influenced his political views was killed by the government.

After this, Oli went into hiding. He was arrested in October 1973 and stayed in prison until 1987. He spent four years in solitary confinement, meaning he was kept alone. While in jail, he became a central committee member of the CPN (Marxist–Leninist). After his release in 1987, he became very active in party work.

Oli in 1996

Becoming a Parliament Member (1991–2015)

In 1991, two communist parties joined to form the CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist). Oli was one of the founding members of this new party. He was also elected as the first chairman of the Democratic National Youth Federation. In 1992, he became a standing committee member of the party and led its publicity department.

In the 1991 election, Oli was elected to Parliament from Jhapa 6. He supported the idea of "People's Multiparty Democracy" for the party. After a party leader passed away in 1993, Oli led a group to investigate the incident.

He was re-elected in the 1994 election from Jhapa 6. He then became the Home Minister in the government led by Man Mohan Adhikari. Oli also played a key role in getting a treaty with India, called the Mahakali treaty, approved by Parliament.

He was elected again in the 1999 election from two areas, Jhapa 2 and Jhapa 6, but chose to keep the Jhapa 2 seat. In 2005, after the king took over power, Oli was placed under house arrest. After the 2006 revolution, he became the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.

Oli in 2011

In the 2008 election, Oli lost his seat in Jhapa 7. However, his ideas for changes within the party were accepted in 2009.

Serving as Prime Minister

In the 2013 election, Oli was elected from Jhapa 7. He also became the leader of his party in Parliament. In July 2015, he was elected as the chairman of his party, the CPN (UML).

First Term (2015–2016)

Oli became Prime Minister on 11 October 2015, after a vote in Parliament. Many parties supported him. His time as prime minister began during a period of protests in southern Nepal and a trade blockade by India.

To deal with difficult relations with India, his government recalled Nepal's ambassador. In March 2016, he visited China, where Nepal and China signed important trade agreements. He resigned on 24 July 2016, after some of his coalition partners withdrew their support.

Second and Third Terms (2018–2021)

In the 2017 election, Oli's party and another party formed an alliance and won most seats in Parliament. Oli was elected from Jhapa 5. He became Prime Minister for the second time on 15 February 2018.

Oli in 2016

His government faced some criticism, including about an agreement with the United States for grants. In February 2019, Oli made a claim about a "supercomputer" being built in Nepal, which later turned out to be less powerful than suggested.

In August 2019, Oli suggested that English words for certain animals and places should be replaced with their Nepali names. For example, he said "rhinoceros" should be called "Gainda" and Mount Everest should be known as "Sagarmatha".

His government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic also received criticism. People were concerned about agreements to buy medical equipment and the government's slow response in helping Nepalese citizens abroad.

In May 2020, Oli's government released new maps of Nepal that included disputed areas with India. This led to a "cartographic war" between the two countries. A change to the constitution to update the official map was passed unanimously.

In December 2020, Oli asked the President to dissolve Parliament and call for new elections. He said he did this because his party was not letting him work as prime minister. This decision was met with criticism, and several ministers resigned. In February 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the dissolution was unconstitutional and reinstated Parliament.

In March 2021, a Supreme Court ruling dissolved the ruling party, which was a merger of two parties. This brought back the original CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre) parties. This change made Oli's government a minority government.

In May 2021, Oli lost a vote of confidence in Parliament. He then became a minority Prime Minister. Later, in July 2021, the Supreme Court again declared the dissolution of Parliament unconstitutional and ordered a new prime minister to be appointed. Oli was re-elected as party chair in November 2021.

Fourth Term (2024–Present)

In the 2022 general election, Oli's party became the second-largest in Parliament. He was re-elected from Jhapa 5. After some political discussions, Oli's party joined a new coalition government in March 2024.

On 1 July 2024, Oli and another major party leader agreed to form a government where they would take turns serving as prime minister. Oli's party then withdrew support from the previous government. After a vote of confidence failed for the previous prime minister, Oli was appointed prime minister for his fourth term on 14 July 2024, and he was sworn in the next day.

Political Beliefs

Oli's political beliefs were influenced by his distant uncle, Ramnath Dahal. As a student, he was interested in communist ideas. He has been critical of some past political groups for the violence that occurred during the Civil War.

Nepal's Relations with India

Oli has had a complex relationship with India. Early in his political career, he was seen as someone who supported closer ties with India, especially after helping to approve the Mahakali treaty.

However, during his first term as prime minister in 2015, he focused on strengthening ties with China after a blockade by India. In his second term, his government updated Nepal's map to include disputed territories with India.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal, Oli made some strong comments about India, suggesting that the "Indian virus" was more dangerous. He also claimed that the Hindu deity Lord Rama was born in Nepal, not India, and that India had created a fake Ayodhya. He even launched an investigation into this claim.

In June 2021, Oli stated that yoga originated in Nepal and Uttarakhand, not India as a whole. These comments sometimes caused debate in both Nepal and India.

Views on Government Structure

Oli has sometimes been seen as favoring a more centralized government. During his second term as prime minister, he brought more power to his own position. He has also been seen as wanting less independence for local and provincial governments in Nepal.

Electoral History

Election	House	Constituency	Party		Votes	Result
1991	House of Representatives	Jhapa 6		Communist Party of Nepal	21,049	Y Elected
1994	House of Representatives	Jhapa 6		Communist Party of Nepal	18,861	Y Elected
1999	House of Representatives	Jhapa 2		Communist Party of Nepal	18,909	Y Elected
1999	House of Representatives	Jhapa 6	23,749	Y Vacated
2008	Constituent Assembly	Jhapa 7		Communist Party of Nepal	14,959	N Lost
2013	Constituent Assembly	Jhapa 7		Communist Party of Nepal	19,287	Y Elected
2017	House of Representatives	Jhapa 5		Communist Party of Nepal	57,139	Y Elected
2022	House of Representatives	Jhapa 5		Communist Party of Nepal	52,319	Y Elected

Personal Life

K.P. Oli is married to Radhika Shakya. They met in 1987 at a political event. At that time, she was working and studying. They got married later that year in a small ceremony.

He lives in Balkot, Bhaktapur, and also has a home in Damak, Jhapa.

Health

During his time in prison, Oli suffered from tuberculosis and a gastric ulcer. After the 1990 revolution, he developed kidney problems. He had a kidney transplant in India in 2007 and a second one in Nepal in 2020. He also received dialysis treatment for kidney disease in 2019.

K. P. Sharma Oli facts for kids

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