List of Prime Ministers of Nepal

Prime Minister of Nepal

Coat of Arms of Nepal
Incumbent
Sushil Koirala
since 11 February 2014
Residence Singha Durbar, Kathmandu
Appointer Ram Baran Yadav
as President of Nepal
Inaugural holder Damodar Pande
as Mul-Kaji
Formation 1799
as Mul-Kaji
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The position of Prime Minister of Nepal as we understand it in modern sense was called by different names at different times of Nepalese history. Since the inception of the Shah dynasty, the Mul-Kajis served the function of Prime Ministers. In 1805, the position of Muktiyar was created for Rana Bahadur Shah, and the title was subsequently adopted. Although the word "Muktiyar" is best translated as "Royal Representative", Muktiyar Bhimsen Thapa was the first person to be referred to as Prime Minister by the British. However, the first Muktiyar to title himself as Prime Minister, as per the British convention, was Bhimsen's nephew, Mathabar Singh Thapa.

Few of Nepalese Prime Ministers have carried a democratic mandate. The first elected Prime Minister was Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, in 1959. After he was deposed and imprisoned, Nepal did not have a democratic government until 1990, when the country became a constitutional monarchy. The monarchy was abolished on 28 May 2008 by the Constituent Assembly.

The current Prime Minister is Sushil Koirala, since 11 February 2014.

Prime Ministers of Nepal (1799–Present)

(Where a Prime Minister served more than a term, the number of separate terms served is given in parentheses)

Prime Ministers of the Kingdom of Nepal (1799–2008)

Prime Ministers during the Absolute monarchy (1799–1990)

Mul-Kajis during the Shah expansion era (1799–1805)
# Portrait Name
(Born-Died)		 Term of Office Political Party
Took Office Left Office
1 Damodar Pande
(1752–1804)		 1799 1804 Nonpartisan
Muktiyars during the Thapa/Pande era (1805–1846)
# Portrait Name
(Born-Died)		 Term of Office Political Party
Took Office Left Office
2 Rana Bahadur Shah
(1775–1839)		 1805 1805 Nonpartisan
3 Bhimsen Thapa
(1775–1839)		 1805 1837 Nonpartisan
4 Rana Jang Pande (1/2)
(?–1843)		 1837 1837 Nonpartisan
5 Ranga Nath Poudyal (1/2)
(1773–?)		 1837 1838 Nonpartisan
6 Chautariya Puskhar Shah
(1784–1846)		 1838 1839 Nonpartisan
(4) Rana Jang Pande (2/2)
(?–1843)		 1839 1840 Nonpartisan
(5) Ranga Nath Poudyal (2/2)
(1773–?)		 1840 1840 Nonpartisan
7 Fatte Jang Chautaria (1/2)
(1805–1846)		 November 1840 January 1843 Nonpartisan
8 Mathabar Singh Thapa
(1798–1845)		 28 November 1843 17 May 1845 Nonpartisan
(7) Fatte Jang Chautaria (2/2)
(1805–1846)		 September 1845 14 September 1846 Nonpartisan
Prime Ministers during the Rana era (1846–1951)
# Portrait Name
(Born-Died)		 Term of Office Political Party
Took Office Left Office
9 Jang Bahadur Rana (1/2)
(1816–1877)		 15 September 1846 1 August 1856 Nonpartisan
10 Bam Bahadur Kunwar Rana
(1818–1857)		 1 August 1856 25 May 1857 Nonpartisan
— Krishna Bahadur Kunwar Rana
(Acting)
(1823–1863)		 25 May 1857 28 June 1857 Nonpartisan
(9) Jang Bahadur Rana (2/2)
(1816–1877)		 28 June 1857 25 February 1877 Nonpartisan
11 Ranodip Singh Kunwar
(1825–1885)		 27 February 1877 22 November 1885 Nonpartisan
12 Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1852–1901)		 22 November 1885 5 March 1901 Nonpartisan
13 Dev Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1862–1914)		 5 March 1901 27 June 1901 Nonpartisan
14 Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1863–1929)		 27 June 1901 26 November 1929 Nonpartisan
15 Bhim Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1865–1932)		 26 November 1929 1 September 1932 Nonpartisan
16 Juddha Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1875–1952)		 1 September 1932 29 November 1945 Nonpartisan
17 Padma Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1882–1961)		 29 November 1945 30 April 1948 Nonpartisan
18 Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana
(1885–1967)		 30 April 1948 12 November 1951 Nonpartisan
Prime Ministers during the Transition era (1951–1960)
# Portrait Name
(Born-Died)		 Term of Office Political Party
Took Office Left Office
19 Matrika Prasad Koirala (1/2)
(1912–1997)		 16 November 1951 14 August 1952 Nepali Congress
— Direct rule by King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah
(1906–1955)		 14 August 1952 15 June 1953 —
(19) Matrika Prasad Koirala (2/2)
(1912–1997)		 15 June 1953 14 April 1955 Nepali Congress
— Direct rule by King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah
(1920–1972)		 14 April 1955 27 January 1956 —
20 Tanka Prasad Acharya
(1912–1992)		 27 January 1956 26 July 1957 Nepal Praja Parishad
21 Kunwar Inderjit Singh
(1906–1982)		 26 July 1957 15 May 1958 United Democratic Party
22 Subarna Shamsher Rana
(1910–1977)		 15 May 1958 27 May 1959 Nepali Congress
23 Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala
(1914–1982)		 27 May 1959 26 December 1960 Nepali Congress
Prime Ministers during the Panchayat era (1960–1990)
# Portrait Name
(Born-Died)		 Term of Office Political Party
Took Office Left Office
24 Tulsi Giri (1/3)
(1926– )		 26 December 1960 23 December 1963 Nonpartisan
25 Surya Bahadur Thapa (1/5)
(1928–2015)		 23 December 1963 26 February 1964 Nonpartisan
(24) Tulsi Giri (2/3)
(1926– )		 26 February 1964 26 January 1965 Nonpartisan
(25) Surya Bahadur Thapa (2/5)
(1928–2015)		 26 January 1965 7 April 1969 Nonpartisan
26 Kirti Nidhi Bista (1/3)
(1927– )		 7 April 1969 13 April 1970 Nonpartisan
— Direct rule by King Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah
(1920–1972)		 13 April 1970 14 April 1971 —
(26) Kirti Nidhi Bista (2/3)
(1927– )		 14 April 1971 16 July 1973 Nonpartisan
27 Nagendra Prasad Rijal (1/2)
(1927–1994)		 16 July 1973 1 December 1975 Nonpartisan
(24) Tulsi Giri (3/3)
(1926– )		 1 December 1975 12 September 1977 Nonpartisan
(26) Kirti Nidhi Bista (3/3)
(1927– )		 12 September 1977 30 May 1979 Nonpartisan
(25) Surya Bahadur Thapa (3/5)
(1928–2015)		 30 May 1979 12 July 1983 Nonpartisan
28 Lokendra Bahadur Chand (1/4)
(1940– )		 12 July 1983 21 March 1986 Nonpartisan
(27) Nagendra Prasad Rijal (2/2)
(1927–1994)		 21 March 1986 15 June 1986 Nonpartisan
29 Marich Man Singh Shrestha
(1942–2013)		 15 June 1986 6 April 1990 Nonpartisan
(28) Lokendra Bahadur Chand (2/4)
(1940– )		 6 April 1990 19 April 1990 Nonpartisan

Prime Ministers during the Constitutional monarchy (1990–2008)

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died)		 Term of Office Political Party
Took Office Left Office Days
30 Krishna Prasad Bhattarai (1/2)
(1924–2011)		 19 April 1990 26 May 1991 402 Nepali Congress
31 Girija Prasad Koirala (1/5)
(1925–2010)		 26 May 1991 30 November 1994 1284 Nepali Congress
32 Man Mohan Adhikari (1/1)
(1920–1999)		 30 November 1994 12 September 1995 286 Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
33 Sher Bahadur Deuba (1/3)
(1946– )		 12 September 1995 12 March 1997 547 Nepali Congress
(28) Lokendra Bahadur Chand (3/4)
(1940– )		 12 March 1997 7 October 1997 209 Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Chand)
(25) Surya Bahadur Thapa (4/5)
(1928–2015)		 7 October 1997 15 April 1998 190 Rastriya Prajatantra Party
(31) Girija Prasad Koirala (2/5)
(1925–2010)		 15 April 1998 31 May 1999 411 Nepali Congress
(30) Krishna Prasad Bhattarai (2/2)
(1924–2011)		 31 May 1999 22 March 2000 296 Nepali Congress
(31) Girija Prasad Koirala (3/5)
(1925–2010)		 22 March 2000 26 July 2001 491 Nepali Congress
(33) Sher Bahadur Deuba (2/3)
(1946– )		 26 July 2001 4 October 2002 435 Nepali Congress
— Direct rule by King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
(1947– )		 4 October 2002 11 October 2002 7 —
(28) Lokendra Bahadur Chand (4/4)
(1940– )		 11 October 2002 5 June 2003 237 Rastriya Prajatantra Party
(25) Surya Bahadur Thapa (5/5)
(1928–2015)		 5 June 2003 3 June 2004 364 Rastriya Prajatantra Party
(33) Sher Bahadur Deuba (3/3)
(1946– )		 3 June 2004 1 February 2005 243 Nepali Congress (Democratic)
— Direct rule by King Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah
(1947– )		 1 February 2005 25 April 2006 448 —
(31) Girija Prasad Koirala (4/5)
(1925–2010)		 25 April 2006 28 May 2008 764 Nepali Congress

Prime Ministers of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal (2008–Present)

# Portrait Name
(Born-Died)		 Term of Office Political Party
Took Office Left Office Days
(31) Girija Prasad Koirala (5/5)
(1925–2010)		 28 May 2008 18 August 2008 83 Nepali Congress
34 Prachanda
(1954– )		 18 August 2008 25 May 2009 280 Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
35 Madhav Kumar Nepal
(1953– )		 25 May 2009 6 February 2011 622 Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
36 Jhala Nath Khanal
(1950– )		 6 February 2011 29 August 2011 204 Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
37 Baburam Bhattarai
(1954– )		 29 August 2011 14 March 2013 563 Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
— Khil Raj Regmi
(Acting)
(1949– )		 14 March 2013 11 February 2014 334 Nonpartisan
38 Sushil Koirala
(1939– )		 11 February 2014 Incumbent 442 Nepali Congress

References

    See also