Khadga Prasad Oli

Political career

Oli began his political career in 1966. He joined the Communist Party of Nepal in February 1970. He became involved in subversive politics in opposition to the party-less Panchayat System in place at the time. For his activities, he was arrested for the first time in 1970. A year later he became the District committee member of the party and soon the Chief of the Jhapa Movement Organizing Committee in 1972. Oli was arrested and imprisoned for 14 consecutive years for murders from 1973 to 1987. The murders were attributed to "Murkatta revolution", beheading political opponents and landlords. After escaping from jail in 1987, he became a central committee member of UML as an in-charge for Lumbini Zone until 1990. He then went on to hold the post of chief of the foreign department of the CPN (UML) in 1992. Oli also became the Founder President of the National Democratic Youth Federation of Nepal (DNYF).

He was elected as a member of parliament in the House of Representatives from Jhapa district's electorate no. 6 in 1991. Soon he became the chief of the department of publicity. In the ever changing political situation of Nepal, Oli served as Minister of Home Affairs in 1994–1995. He was re-elected to the House of Representatives from Jhapa electorate no. 2 in 1999.

Oli was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister as part of the interim government in 2006. He was also assigned to look into the death of fellow politician Madan Bhandari. From April 2006 to 2007, Oli was Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Oli stood as a candidate in the 2008 Constituent Assembly election but failed to win a seat. Five years later, he won the Jhapa–7 seat in the 2013 Constituent Assembly election as a CPN-UML candidate. He was designated as the Chief of the International Department of the CPN-UML Parliamentary Party.

Oli was elected as leader of the CPN-UML Parliamentary Party in the Second Constituent Assembly on 4 February 2014, defeating party chairman Jhala Nath Khanal by a vote of 98 to 75. Oli was subsequently elected as the chairman of CPN-UML in July 2014.

He was elected as Prime Minister in a parliamentary vote on 11 October 2015, receiving 338 votes out of 597. Oli's PM candidacy was supported by the UCPN-Maoists, Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal, and Madhesi Rights Forum-Democratic along with 13 other small parties. He was sworn in on 12 October.

Following the withdrawal of support from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre) on 13 July 2016 from the existing coalition government and subsequent registration of a no-confidence motion by the party on 14 July 2016, CPN-UML and acting Prime Minister KP Oli seemingly shrank to a minority which pressured him to resign. But CPN-UML's decision to discuss filed no confidence motion led to a three-day parliament meeting of the concerned parties. During the process, two other major parties, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Madhesi Rights Forum-Democratic, also removed their support from the coalition. On the third day, 24 July 2016, after his answering to the issues held by the opposition parties, KP Oli announced his resignation as Prime Minister.

Personal life

Oli was born in Terathum, Eastern Nepal. Due to starvation in Terathum, he resided mostly in Jhapa during his political life. Oli started his study in Himalaya Higher Secondary School in Damak municipality of Jhapa district at the age of 12. He left school in grade nine.

Electoral history

He was elected to the Pratinidhi Sabha from Jhapa in 1991, 1994 and 1999 on a CPN-UML ticket. He contested and won from two constituencies in the 1999 election and gave up his Jhapa-6 seat. He lost the 2008 Constituent assembly election. Only the top two candidates are shown below.

1991 Pratinidhi Sabha Election Jhapa-6

1994 Pratinidhi Sabha Election Jhapa-6

1999 Pratinidhi Sabha Election Jhapa-2

1999 Pratinidhi Sabha Election Jhapa-6

2008 Constituent Assembly Election Jhapa-7

2013 CA Election Jhapa-7

2015 Parliamentary Prime Minister Election