List of prime ministers of Nepal facts for kids
The position of a prime minister of Nepal (Nepali: नेपालको प्रधानमन्त्री, romanized: Nepālko Pradhānmantrī) in modern form was called by different names at different times of Nepalese history. During the reign of the Shah kings, the Mulkajis (Chief Kajis) or Chautariyas served as prime ministers in a council of 4 Chautariyas, 4 Kajis, and sundry officers. These Bharadars (officers) were drawn from high caste and politically influential families such as the Pande, Basnyat, and Thapa families. The nobility of Gorkha was mainly based from Chhetri families and they had a strong presence in civil administration affairs. All prime ministers of Nepal between 1768 and 1950 were Chhetris with the exception of Ranga Nath Poudyal, being a Khas Brahmin. Of the 23 men who have been elected since Nepal attained democracy from the Ranas in 1951, 15 have been Khas Brahmin, 3 Thakuri, 2 Newar Shresthas, 2 Chhetri, and 1 Sanyasi/Dasnami. The executive power allocation was fluctuating between Kajis and Chautariyas.
In 1804, a single authoritative position of Mukhtiyar was created by Rana Bahadur Shah which carried the executive powers of nation. Mukhtiyar held the position of head of the executive until the adoption of the title of Prime Minister in November 1843 by Mathabar Singh Thapa who became Mukhtiyar as well as Prime Minister and the Chief of the Nepalese Army. During the Rana dynasty, the position of prime minister was hereditary and the officeholder held additional titles – Maharaja of Lamjang and Kaski, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of Nepal and Grand Master of the Royal Orders of Nepal.
After the revolution of 1951, non-aristocratic citizens like Matrika Prasad Koirala held the position of prime minister still under the authority of the King of Nepal. The first general election was held in 1959 and Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala became the first elected prime minister of Nepal. However, he was deposed and imprisoned in the 1960 coup d'état by King Mahendra who went on to establish an oligarchic authoritative regime, the Panchayat system, and Nepal did not have a democratic government until 1990. After the Jana Andolan movement in 1990, the country became a constitutional monarchy. However, this was interrupted with the 2005 coup d'état by King Gyanendra. After the Loktantrik Andolan movement in 2006, the monarchy was abolished on 28 May 2008 by the 1st Constituent Assembly and the country was declared a federal parliamentary republic. The current constitution was adopted on 20 September 2015, and the first prime minister under this new constitution was KP Sharma Oli.
Contents
- Heads of government of the Kingdom of Nepal (1768–2008)
- Before 1800s
- MulKajis and Mukhtiyars during the Shah expansion era (1803–1846)
- Prime ministers during the Rana era (1846–1951)
- Prime ministers during the Transition era (1951–1960)
- Prime ministers during the partyless Panchayat era (1960–1990)
- Prime ministers during the Constitutional monarchy (1990–2008)
- Prime ministers of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (2008–present)
- See also
Heads of government of the Kingdom of Nepal (1768–2008)
Before 1800s
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Title | King (Reign) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | |||||
1 | Vamsharaj Pande (1739–1785) |
c. 1776 | c. 1779 | Dewan | Pratap Singh Shah (1751–1777) |
|
2 | Swarup Singh Karki (1751–1785) |
c. 1776 | c. 1777 | Dewan | ||
3 | Sarbajit Rana Magar (1750–1778) |
c. 1777 | c. 1778 | Kaji/Mulkaji | Rana Bahadur Shah (1775–1806) |
|
(1) | Vamsharaj Pande (1739–1785) |
c. 1782 | c. 1785 | Dewan/Mantri–Nayak | ||
4 | Abhiman Singh Basnyat (1744–1800) |
c. 1785 | c. 1794 | Mulkaji | ||
— | Bahadur Shah of Nepal (1757–1797) |
c. 1785 | c. 1794 | Mul–Chautariya | ||
5 | Kirtiman Singh Basnyat (1760–1801) |
c. 1794 | c. 1801 | Mulkaji | ||
Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah (1799–1816) |
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6 | Bakhtawar Singh Basnyat (1759–1840) |
c. 1801 | c. 1803 | Mulkaji |
MulKajis and Mukhtiyars during the Shah expansion era (1803–1846)
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | King (Reign) |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | ||||
1 | Damodar Pande (1752–1804) |
February 1803 | March 1804 | Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah (1799–1816) |
|
— | Rana Bahadur Shah (1775–1806) |
1804 | 25 April 1806 | ||
2 | Bhimsen Thapa (1775–1839) |
1806 | July 1837 | ||
Rajendra Bikram Shah (1816–1847) |
|||||
3 | Rana Jang Pande (1789–1843) 1st time |
1837 | 1837 | ||
4 | Ranga Nath Poudyal (1773–1846) 1st time |
October 1837 | August 1838 | ||
5 | Chautariya Puskhar Shah (1784–1846) |
October 1838 | 1839 | ||
(3) | Rana Jang Pande (1789–1843) 2nd time |
April 1839 | 1840 | ||
(4) | Ranga Nath Poudyal (1773–1846) 2nd time |
1840 | 1840 | ||
6 | Fateh Jung Shah (1805–1846) 1st time |
November 1840 | January 1843 | ||
7 | Mathabar Singh Thapa (1798–1845) |
November 1843 | 17 May 1845 | ||
(6) | Fateh Jung Shah (1805–1846) 2nd time |
September 1845 | 14 September 1846 (Assassinated) |
Prime ministers during the Rana era (1846–1951)
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | King (Reign) |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Days | ||||
8 | Jung Bahadur Rana (1816–1877) 1st time |
15 September 1846 | 1 August 1856 | 9 years, 321 days | Surendra Bikram Shah (1847–1881) |
|
9 | Bam Bahadur Kunwar (1818–1857) |
1 August 1856 | 25 May 1857 | 297 days | ||
— | Krishna Bahadur Kunwar Rana (1823–1863) Acting Prime Minister |
25 May 1857 | 28 June 1857 | 34 days | ||
(8) | Jung Bahadur Rana (1816–1877) 2nd time |
28 June 1857 | 25 February 1877 | 19 years, 242 days | ||
10 | Ranodip Singh Kunwar (1825–1885) |
27 February 1877 | 22 November 1885 (Assassinated) |
8 years, 270 days | ||
Prithvi Bir Bikram Shah (1881–1911) |
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11 | Bir Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (1852–1901) |
22 November 1885 | 5 March 1901 | 15 years, 103 days | ||
12 | Dev Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (1862–1914) |
5 March 1901 | 27 June 1901 | 114 days | ||
13 | Chandra Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (1863–1929) |
27 June 1901 | 26 November 1929 | 28 years, 152 days | ||
Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (1911–1955) |
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14 | Bhim Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (1865–1932) |
26 November 1929 | 1 September 1932 | 2 years, 280 days | ||
15 | Juddha Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (1875–1952) |
1 September 1932 | 29 November 1945 | 13 years, 89 days | ||
16 | Padma Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (1882–1961) |
29 November 1945 | 30 April 1948 | 2 years, 153 days | ||
17 | Mohan Shumsher Jung Bahadur Rana (1885–1967) |
30 April 1948 | 12 November 1951 | 3 years, 196 days |
Prime ministers during the Transition era (1951–1960)
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Election(s) | Political party | Cabinet | King (Reign) |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Days | ||||||||
18 | Matrika Prasad Koirala (1912–1997) 1st time |
16 November 1951 | 14 August 1952 | 272 days | — | Nepali Congress | M. P. Koirala I | Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (1911–1955) |
||
— | Direct rule by King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah (1906–1955) |
14 August 1952 | 15 June 1953 | 305 days | — | |||||
(18) | Matrika Prasad Koirala (1912–1997) 2nd time |
15 June 1953 | 11 April 1955 | 1 year, 303 days | — | Rastriya Praja Party | M. P. Koirala II | |||
Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah (1955–1972) |
||||||||||
— | Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) Acting |
11 April 1955 | 14 April 1955 | 3 days | – | |||||
— | Direct rule by King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah (1920–1972) |
14 April 1955 | 27 January 1956 | 288 days | — | |||||
19 | Tanka Prasad Acharya (1912–1992) |
27 January 1956 | 26 July 1957 | 1 year, 180 days | — | Nepal Praja Parishad | Acharya | |||
20 | Kunwar Indrajit Singh (1906–1982) |
26 July 1957 | 15 May 1958 | 293 days | United Democratic Party | Singh | ||||
21 | Subarna Shamsher Rana (1910–1977) |
15 May 1958 | 27 May 1959 | 1 year, 12 days | Nepali Congress | – | ||||
22 | Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala (1914–1982) MP for Morang–Biratnagar West |
27 May 1959 | 15 December 1960 (Deposed) |
1 year, 202 days | 1959 | B. P. Koirala |
Prime ministers during the partyless Panchayat era (1960–1990)
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | King (Reign) |
||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Days | ||||
— | Direct rule by King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah (1920–1972) |
15 December 1960 | 2 April 1963 | 2 years, 108 days | Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah (1955–1972) |
|
23 | Tulsi Giri (1926–2018) 1st time |
2 April 1963 | 23 December 1963 | 265 days | ||
24 | Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) 1st time |
23 December 1963 | 26 February 1964 | 65 days | ||
(23) | Tulsi Giri (1926–2018) 2nd time |
26 February 1964 | 26 January 1965 | 335 days | ||
(24) | Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) 2nd time |
26 January 1965 | 7 April 1969 | 4 years, 71 days | ||
25 | Kirti Nidhi Bista (1927–2017) 1st time |
7 April 1969 | 13 April 1970 | 1 year, 6 days | ||
– | Gehendra Bahadur Rajbhandari (1923–1994) Acting Prime Minister |
13 April 1970 | 14 April 1971 | 1 year, 1 day | ||
(25) | Kirti Nidhi Bista (1927–2017) 2nd time |
14 April 1971 | 16 July 1973 | 2 years, 63 days | ||
Birendra Bir Bikram Shah (1972–2001) |
||||||
26 | Nagendra Prasad Rijal (1927–1994) 1st time |
16 July 1973 | 1 December 1975 | 2 years, 168 days | ||
(23) | Tulsi Giri (1926–2018) 3rd time |
1 December 1975 | 12 September 1977 | 1 year, 285 days | ||
(25) | Kirti Nidhi Bista (1927–2017) 3rd time |
12 September 1977 | 30 May 1979 | 1 year, 260 days | ||
(24) | Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) 3rd time |
30 May 1979 | 12 July 1983 | 4 years, 43 days | ||
27 | Lokendra Bahadur Chand (born 1940) 1st time |
12 July 1983 | 21 March 1986 | 2 years, 252 days | ||
(26) | Nagendra Prasad Rijal (1927–1994) 2nd time |
21 March 1986 | 15 June 1986 | 86 days | ||
28 | Marich Man Singh Shrestha (1942–2013) |
15 June 1986 | 6 April 1990 | 3 years, 295 days | ||
(27) | Lokendra Bahadur Chand (born 1940) 2nd time |
6 April 1990 | 19 April 1990 | 13 days |
Prime ministers during the Constitutional monarchy (1990–2008)
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Election(s) | Political party | King (Reign) |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Days | |||||||
29 | Krishna Prasad Bhattarai (1924–2011) 1st time |
19 April 1990 | 26 May 1991 | 1 year, 37 days | — | Nepali Congress | Birendra Bir Bikram Shah (1972–2001) |
||
30 | Girija Prasad Koirala (1924–2010) MP for Morang 1 1st time |
26 May 1991 | 30 November 1994 | 3 years, 188 days | 1991 | ||||
31 | Man Mohan Adhikari (1920–1999) MP for Kathmandu 3 |
30 November 1994 | 12 September 1995 | 286 days | 1994 | Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) | |||
32 | Sher Bahadur Deuba (born 1946) MP for Dadeldhura 1 1st time |
12 September 1995 | 12 March 1997 | 1 year, 181 days | Nepali Congress | ||||
(27) | Lokendra Bahadur Chand (born 1940) MP for Baitadi 2 3rd time |
12 March 1997 | 7 October 1997 | 209 days | Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Chand) | ||||
(24) | Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) MP for Dhankuta 2 4th time |
7 October 1997 | 15 April 1998 | 190 days | Rastriya Prajatantra Party | ||||
(30) | Girija Prasad Koirala (1924–2010) MP for Morang 1 2nd time |
15 April 1998 | 31 May 1999 | 1 year, 46 days | Nepali Congress | ||||
(29) | Krishna Prasad Bhattarai (1924–2011) MP for Parsa 1 2nd time |
31 May 1999 | 22 March 2000 | 296 days | 1999 | ||||
(30) | Girija Prasad Koirala (1924–2010) MP for Sunsari 5 3rd time |
22 March 2000 | 26 July 2001 | 1 year, 126 days | |||||
Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (2001–2008) |
|||||||||
(32) | Sher Bahadur Deuba (born 1946) MP for Dadeldhura 1 2nd time |
26 July 2001 | 4 October 2002 | 1 year, 70 days | |||||
— | Direct rule by King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (born 1947) |
4 October 2002 | 11 October 2002 | 7 days | — | ||||
(27) | Lokendra Bahadur Chand (born 1940) 4th time |
11 October 2002 | 5 June 2003 | 237 days | — | Rastriya Prajatantra Party | |||
(24) | Surya Bahadur Thapa (1928–2015) 5th time |
5 June 2003 | 3 June 2004 | 364 days | |||||
(32) | Sher Bahadur Deuba (born 1946) 3rd time |
3 June 2004 | 1 February 2005 (Deposed) |
243 days | Nepali Congress (Democratic) | ||||
— | Direct rule by King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah (born 1947) |
1 February 2005 | 25 April 2006 | 1 year, 83 days | — | ||||
(30) | Girija Prasad Koirala (1924–2010) 4th time |
25 April 2006 | 28 May 2008 | 2 years, 33 days | — | Nepali Congress |
Prime ministers of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (2008–present)
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Election(s) | Political party | Cabinet | President (Term) |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Days | ||||||||
(30) | Girija Prasad Koirala (1924–2010) 5th time |
28 May 2008 | 18 August 2008 | 82 days | — | Nepali Congress | — | Girija Prasad Koirala (2007–2008) (Acting Head of State) |
||
33 | Pushpa Kamal Dahal (born 1954) MCA for Kathmandu 10 1st time |
18 August 2008 | 25 May 2009 | 280 days | 2008 (Constituent Assembly) |
Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) | Dahal I | Ram Baran Yadav (2008–2015) |
||
34 | Madhav Kumar Nepal (born 1953) Nominated MCA |
25 May 2009 | 6 February 2011 | 1 year, 257 days | Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) | Nepal | ||||
35 | Jhala Nath Khanal (born 1950) MCA for Ilam 1 |
6 February 2011 | 29 August 2011 | 204 days | Khanal | |||||
36 | Baburam Bhattarai (born 1954) MCA for Gorkha 2 |
29 August 2011 | 14 March 2013 | 1 year, 197 days | Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) | B. Bhattarai | ||||
— | Khil Raj Regmi (born 1949) Chair of the Cabinet of Ministers |
14 March 2013 | 11 February 2014 | 334 days | — | Independent | Regmi (Interim) | |||
37 | Sushil Koirala (1939–2016) MCA for Banke 3 |
11 February 2014 | 12 October 2015 | 1 year, 243 days | 2013 (Constituent Assembly) |
Nepali Congress | S. Koirala | |||
38 | KP Sharma Oli (born 1952) MCA for Jhapa 7 1st time |
12 October 2015 | 4 August 2016 | 297 days | Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) | Oli I | ||||
Bidya Devi Bhandari (2015–2023) |
||||||||||
(33) | Pushpa Kamal Dahal (born 1954) MCA for Siraha 5 2nd time |
4 August 2016 | 7 June 2017 | 307 days | Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) | Dahal II | ||||
(32) | Sher Bahadur Deuba (born 1946) MCA for Dadeldhura 1 4th time |
7 June 2017 | 15 February 2018 | 253 days | Nepali Congress | Deuba IV | ||||
(38) | KP Sharma Oli (born 1952) MP for Jhapa 5 2nd time |
15 February 2018 | 14 May 2021 | 3 years, 88 days | 2017 | Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) | Oli II | |||
3rd time as minority PM | 14 May 2021 | 13 July 2021 | 60 days | Oli III | ||||||
(32) | Sher Bahadur Deuba (born 1946) MP for Dadeldhura 1 5th time |
13 July 2021 | 26 December 2022 | 1 year, 166 days | Nepali Congress | Deuba V | ||||
(33) | Pushpa Kamal Dahal (born 1954) MP for Gorkha 2 3rd time |
26 December 2022 | 15 July 2024 | 1 year, 202 days | 2022 | Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) | Dahal III | Ram Chandra Poudel (2023–present) |
||
(38) | KP Sharma Oli (born 1952) MP for Jhapa 5 4th time |
15 July 2024 | Incumbent | 129 days | Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) | Oli IV |
See also
In Spanish: Primer ministro de Nepal para niños
- King of Nepal
- President of Nepal
- Prime Minister of Nepal
- Government of Nepal