Senior party positions


Chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre)
Incumbent
Assumed office 8 March 2021
Preceded by	Position re-established
In office 1994–2018
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished
Chairman of the Nepal Communist Party
In office 17 May 2018 – 8 March 2021 Serving with KP Sharma Oli
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Position abolished

Parliamentary offices

Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 December 2022
Preceded by	Baburam Bhattarai
Constituency	Gorkha 2
In office 4 March 2018 – 18 September 2022
Preceded by	Krishna Bhakta Pokharel
Succeeded by	Bikram Pandey
Constituency	Chitwan 3
Member of the Constituent Assembly / Legislature Parliament
In office 21 January 2014 – 14 October 2017
Preceded by	Mahendra Paswan
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Constituency	Siraha 5
In office 28 May 2008 – 28 May 2012
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Rajendra Kumar KC
Constituency	Kathmandu 10

Personal details

Born

Ghanashyam Dahal

11 December 1954 (age 70)
Lewade, Dhikur Pokhari VDC, Pokhara, Nepal

Political party

CPN (Maoist Centre) (1994–2018; 2021–present)

Other political
affiliations

Nepal Communist Party (2018–2021)
CPN (Unity Centre) (1991–1994)
CPN (Mashal) (1984–1991)
CPN (Masal) (1983–1984)
CPN (Fourth Convention) (before 1983)

Spouse

Sita Poudel

(m. 1969; died 2023)

Children

4, including Renu

Alma mater

Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science,Tribhuvan University

Nickname

Prachanda

Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Nepali: पुष्पकमल दाहाल), born Ghanashyam Dahal on 11 December 1954, is a well-known Nepalese politician. He is also known by his nickname Prachanda (meaning "fierce").

Currently, he serves as the Leader of the Opposition in Nepal. He has been the Prime Minister of Nepal three times. His first time was from 2008 to 2009, making him the first prime minister of the new Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal. He also served from 2016 to 2017, and again from 2022 to 2024.

Prachanda became interested in politics because he saw a lot of poverty when he was young. He joined the Communist Party of Nepal (Fourth Convention) in 1981. Later, he became a leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). He led this party during Nepal's civil war. After the war, he was part of the peace process and the first assembly that wrote a new constitution.

In the 2008 elections, his party became the largest, and he became prime minister. He stepped down in 2009. He became prime minister again in 2016 and resigned in 2017. In December 2022, he became prime minister for the third time. He lost a vote in parliament in July 2024, which ended his third term.

Early Life and Education
The Nepalese Civil War
Becoming Prime Minister
Personal Life
See also

Early Life and Education

Pushpa Kamal Dahal was born Ghanashyam Dahal on 11 December 1954. His birthplace was Lewade, a small village near Pokhara in Nepal. His family was a Brahmin Hindu family. When he was eight, his family moved to the Terai, a flat, fertile area in southern Nepal. They settled in Chitwan District.

In 1971, he went to Kathmandu for his studies. He studied at Patan Multiple Campus for two years. After that, he returned to Chitwan. He earned a diploma in agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) in Rampur. After finishing his studies, he worked as a schoolteacher in a village until 1979.

The Nepalese Civil War

Dahal speaking at a rally in Pokhara.

The Nepalese Civil War was a major conflict in Nepal. It lasted from 1996 to 2006. On 4 February 1996, Baburam Bhattarai, a leader from Prachanda's party, gave the government a list of 40 demands. These demands were about improving the country's independence, democracy, and people's lives. They warned of a civil war if the demands were not met.

From 1996 to 2006, Prachanda led the military efforts of the CPN (Maoist Centre). They aimed to control areas, especially in the mountains and western Nepal.

In 2005, Prachanda and a group of other political parties, called the Seven Party Alliance, made an agreement. This agreement, known as the 'twelve-point agreement', stated that the king's rule was stopping Nepal from moving forward. It also said that the Maoists were committed to human rights and a multi-party government system.

On 26 April 2006, the CPN (Maoist Centre) announced a ceasefire. This happened after many large protests in Kathmandu. These protests forced King Gyanendra to give up his direct rule and bring back the parliament. The new government and the Maoists agreed that a new assembly would be elected. This assembly would write a new constitution and decide the future of the monarchy. The Maoists wanted Nepal to become a republic.

Becoming Prime Minister

Dahal (third from left), Baburam Bhattarai (fourth from left)

Prachanda met with Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala on 16 June 2006. This was his first visit to Kathmandu in over ten years. This meeting led to the Comprehensive Peace Accord. This agreement aimed to dissolve the parliament, include the CPN(M) in a new temporary government, write a new constitution, and disarm the Maoist fighters.

The two sides also agreed to disarm later under international supervision. In December 2007, they agreed to abolish the monarchy after the election.

First Time as Prime Minister

After winning a large number of seats in the 2008 election, Prachanda was chosen as prime minister. He was elected from Kathmandu constituency-10 and also won in Rolpa constituency-2. He promised that his party would work with other parties to create the new constitution. He also assured other countries like India and China that his party wanted good relations. He said that the election showed his party's commitment to multi-party democracy. He was sworn in as prime minister on 18 August 2008.

Second Time as Prime Minister

In August 2016, Pushpa Kamal Dahal was elected prime minister for a second time. He was the 24th prime minister since Nepal became a multi-party democracy in 1990. He was also the eighth prime minister since the monarchy was ended in 2008. He resigned from this position on 24 May 2017. Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress party took over after him.

Third Time as Prime Minister

Pushpa Kamal Dahal became prime minister for the third time on 25 December 2022. This happened after the 2022 Nepalese general election. He won a vote of confidence in the parliament on 10 January 2023. A large majority of members voted in his favor.

Later, Prachanda supported Ram Chandra Poudel for president. Because of this, one of his main supporting parties, CPN (UML), left his government. Prachanda then formed a new alliance with the Nepali Congress.

On 4 March 2024, Prachanda ended his alliance with the Nepali Congress. He formed a new alliance with the CPN (UML) and other smaller parties. However, on 3 July, the CPN (UML) left his coalition again. They formed a new coalition with the Nepali Congress. On 12 July, Prachanda lost a vote of no confidence in the parliament. This ended his third term as prime minister.

Personal Life

In 1969, when he was fifteen, Prachanda married Sita Poudel. They had three daughters and one son. One of their daughters is Renu Dahal. Sita Poudel passed away on 12 July 2023.

Prachanda identifies as an atheist. He stopped practicing Hinduism when he was a teenager.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal facts for kids

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