List of prime ministers of Nepal

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 Chetri families and they had a strong presence in civil administration affairs.^[1] All prime ministers of Nepal between 1768 and 1950 were Chhetris with the exception of Ranga Nath Poudyal, being a Khas Brahmin.^[2] 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.^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[5][6] During the Rana dynasty, the position of prime minister was hereditary and the officeholder held additional titles – Maharaja of Lambjang 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.

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^[note 1]	Pratap Singh Shah   (1751–1777)
2		Swarup Singh Karki (1751–1785)	c. 1776	c. 1777	Dewan^[note 2]
3		Sarbajit Rana Magar (1750–1778)	c. 1777	c. 1778	Kaji/Mulkaji^[note 3]	Rana Bahadur Shah   (1775–1806)
(1)		Vamsharaj Pande (1739–1785)	c. 1782	c. 1785	Dewan/Mantri–Nayak^[note 4]
4		Abhiman Singh Basnyat (1744–1800)	c. 1785	c. 1794	Mulkaji^[note 5]
—		Bahadur Shah of Nepal (1757–1797)	c. 1785	c. 1794	Mul–Chautariya^[note 6]
5		Kirtiman Singh Basnyat (1760–1801)	c. 1794	c. 1801	Mulkaji^[note 7]
						Girvan Yuddha Bikram Shah   (1799–1816)
6		Bakhtawar Singh Basnyat (1759–1840)	c. 1801	c. 1803	Mulkaji^[note 8]

Mul-Kajis and Muktiyars 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^[note 9]	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

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)
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)
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	Tanka Acharya
	20		Kunwar Inderjit Singh (1906–1982)	26 July 1957	15 May 1958	293 days		United Democratic Party	K.I. 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^[20]^[21]^[22]	18 August 2008^[21]^[22]	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)	Madhav 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)	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	Sushil 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^[23]	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^[24]	15 February 2018^[25]	253 days		Nepali Congress	Deuba IV
	(38)		KP Sharma Oli (born 1952) MP for Jhapa 5 2nd time	15 February 2018^[26]	13 May 2021^[27]	3 years, 87 days	2017	Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)	Oli II
			3rd time as minority PM	13 May 2021^[28]	13 July 2021^[29]^[30]	60 days
	(32)		Sher Bahadur Deuba (born 1946) MP for Dadeldhura 1 5th time	13 July 2021^[31]^[32]	26 December 2022^[33]	1 year, 166 days		Nepali Congress	Deuba V
	(33)		Pushpa Kamal Dahal (born 1954) MP for Gorkha 2 3rd time	26 December 2022^[34]	Incumbent	357 days	2022	Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)	Dahal III	Ram Chandra Poudel   (2023–present)

See also

• King of Nepal
• President of Nepal
• Government of Nepal

References

Footnotes

1. The document dated Bikram Samvat 1833 Bhadra Vadi 3 Roj 6 (i.e. Friday 2 August 1776), shows that both Swaroop Singh Karki and Vamsharaj Pande had carried the title of Dewan (equivalent to Prime Minister).^[7]
2. The document dated Bikram Samvat 1833 Bhadra Vadi 3 Roj 6 (i.e. Friday 2 August 1776), shows that both Swaroop Singh Karki and Vamsharaj Pande had carried the title of Dewan (equivalent to Prime Minister).^[7]
3. Historian Dilli Raman Regmi asserts that Sarbajit was chosen as Mulkaji (Chief Kaji).^[8] Historian Rishikesh Shah asserts that Sarbajit was appointed only a Kaji ^[9] and was the head of the Nepalese government for a short period in 1778.^[10]
4. Daniel Wright mentions him as the Mantri-Nayak (Prime Minister) under the King Rana Bahadur Shah (1777–1799).^[11]
5. Abhiman Singh Basnyat was replaced by Kirtiman Singh Basnyat as Mulkaji^[12] after the dismissal of government on maturity of King Rana Bahadur Shah in 1794 AD.^[13]
6. On Shrawan 1842 B.S. (i.e. July 1785), after the death of Regent Queen Rajendra Laxmi, Bahadur Shah assumed the regency and administration on the call of Bharadars.^{[citation needed]} Historian Baburam Acharya referred the reign of Bahadur Shah as "Primeministership" or "Premiership".^[14] Prince Bahadur Shah of Nepal was Chief Chautariya (Mul-Chautariya) up to Baisakh 1851 B.S. (i.e. April 1794). The Chief Chautariya carried the functions of a Prime Minister.^[15]
7. Though the position of Mulkaji (Chief Kaji) was bestowed on Kirtiman Singh in 1794, Damodar Pande was the most influential Kaji.^[13] and Damodar lead the military forces and the second government to prevent the re-establishment of royal authority of self-renounced King Rana Bahadur Shah in 1799.^[16][17]
8. Bakhtawar Singh Basnyat, brother of assassinated Kirtiman Singh, was then given the post of Mulkaji.^[18]
9. The position of Mukhtiyar was formed and ruled by renounced King Rana Bahadur Shah on the year 1804 A.D.^[19]

Notes

1. Pahari 1995, p. 632.
2. Raj 1996, p. 5.
3. Mandal, Monika (2013). Social Inclusion of Ethnic Communities in Contemporary Nepal. Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIS). ISBN 978-93-81904-58-9.
4. Nepal, Gyanmani (2007). Nepal ko Mahabharat (in Nepali) (3rd ed.). Kathmandu: Sajha. p. 314. ISBN 9789993325857.
5. Kandel, Devi Prasad (2011). Pre-Rana Administrative System. Chitwan: Siddhababa Offset Press. p. 95.
6. Regmi 1971, p. 17.
7. D.R. Regmi 1975, p. 272.
8. D.R. Regmi 1975, p. 285.
9. Shaha 1990, p. 46.
10. Shaha 2001, p. 21.
11. Wright 1877, p. 260.
12. Karmacharya 2005, p. 56.
13. Pradhan 2012, p. 12.
14. Regmi 1972, p. 12.
15. Regmi 1971, p. 12.
16. Pradhan 2012, p. 13.
17. Acharya 2012, pp. 28–32.
18. Acharya 2012, p. 35.
19. Pradhan 2012, p. 25.
20. "Girija Prasad koirla prime minister". nepalnews. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
21. "Girija prasad, acting head of state of nepal". cnn. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
22. "Nepalese prime minister resigns". BBC. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
23. "Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda sworn in as new Nepal PM". Hindustan Times. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
24. "Sher Bahadur Deuba sworns in as Prime Minister". thehimalayantimes.com. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
25. "PM Deuba announces resignation". The Kathmandu Post. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
26. "Newly appointed PM KP Sharma Oli takes oath of office". The Kathmandu Post. 15 February 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
27. Subedi, Kamal. "PM Oli fails to secure parliament's confidence, what next now?". My Republica. Retrieved 12 May 2021.
28. ONLINE, THT (13 May 2021). "Oli appointed PM as opposition fails to gather numbers". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
29. Livemint (12 July 2021). "Sher Bahadur Deuba to be Nepal's new prime minister orders Supreme Court". mint. from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
30. "दुई दिनभित्र देउवालाई प्रधानमन्त्री बनाउन परमादेश".
31. "देउवा प्रधानमन्त्री नियुक्त, सपथको तयारी". Setopati. Retrieved 13 July 2021.
32. "यस्तो छ सर्वोच्च अदालतको आदेशको पूर्णपाठ". ratopati.com. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
33. "Dahal becomes prime minister again, Oli the new kingmaker". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
34. "Dahal sworn in as prime minister". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 26 December 2022.

Books

• Acharya, Baburam (2012), Acharya, Shri Krishna (ed.), Janaral Bhimsen Thapa : Yinko Utthan Tatha Pattan (in Nepali), Kathmandu: Education Book House, p. 228, ISBN 9789937241748
• Nepal, Gyanmani (2007), Nepal ko Mahabharat (in Nepali) (3rd ed.), Kathmandu: Sajha, p. 314, ISBN 9789993325857
• Amatya, Shaphalya (June–November 1978), "The failure of Captain Knox's mission in Nepal" (PDF), Ancient Nepal, Kathmandu (46–48): 9–17, retrieved 11 January 2013
• Pradhan, Kumar L. (2012), Thapa Politics in Nepal: With Special Reference to Bhim Sen Thapa, 1806–1839, New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, p. 278, ISBN 9788180698132
• Karmacharya, Ganga (2005), Queens in Nepalese Politics: an account of roles of Nepalese queens in state affairs, 1775–1846, Nepal: Educational Publishing House, ISBN 9789994633937
• Pahari, Anup (1995), The Origins, Growth and Dissolution of Feudalism in Nepal: A Contribution to the Debate on Feudalism in Non-European Societies, vol. 4, University of Wisconsin—Madison
• Raj, Prakash A. (1996), Brahmins of Nepal, Nabeen Publications, ISBN 9780785573661
• Regmi, Mahesh Chandra (1971). Regmi Research Series (PDF). Vol. 03. Regmi Research Centre.
• Regmi, Mahesh Chandra (1972). Regmi Research Series (PDF). Vol. 04. Regmi Research Centre.
• Shaha, Rishikesh (1990), Modern Nepal 1769–1885, Riverdale Company, ISBN 0-913215-64-3
• Shaha, Rishikesh (2001), An Introduction of Nepal, Kathmandu: Ratna Pustak Bhandar
• D.R. Regmi (1975), Modern Nepal, vol. 1, Firma K.L. Mukhopadhyay, ISBN 0883864916
• Wright, Daniel (1877), History of Nepal, Cambridge University Press

External links

• Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers