Jhala Nath Khanal

Jhala Nath Khanal (Nepali: झलनाथ खनाल, [d͡zʱʌlʌˈnatʰ ˈkʰʌnal] ⓘ; born 20 May 1950) is a Nepalese politician who was the 35th Prime Minister of Nepal from February 2011 to August 2011. He was previously the chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN (UML)) and Leader of the Constituent Assembly Parliamentary Party of the CPN (UML).[1][2]

Jhala Nath Khanal
झलनाथ खनाल
35th Prime Minister of Nepal
In office
6 February 2011 – 29 August 2011
PresidentRam Baran Yadav
Preceded byMadhav Kumar Nepal
Succeeded byBaburam Bhattarai
Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)
In office
2009–2014
Preceded byMadhav Kumar Nepal
Succeeded byKhadga Prasad Sharma Oli
Minister for Information and Communication
In office
1997–1998
MonarchBirendra of Nepal
Succeeded bySurya Bahadur Thapa
Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha
In office
4 March 2018 – 18 September 2022
ConstituencyIlam 1
In office
May 1991 – May 1999
Preceded byConstituency created
Succeeded byBenup Raj Prasain
ConstituencyIlam 1
Member of Constituent Assembly
In office
28 May 2008 – 14 October 2017
Preceded byBenup Raj Prasain
ConstituencyIlam 1
Personal details
Born (1950-05-20) 20 May 1950
Sakhejung, Ilam, Nepal
Political partyCPN (Unified Socialist) (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations		CPN (UML) (until 2018; 2021)
Nepal Communist Party (2018–2021)

Since 18 August 2021, he has been serving as the senior leader of the CPN (Unified Socialist), a new party formed through split in CPN (UML) citing arrogance and monopoly of the party president KP Sharma Oli.[3]

Personal life

Khanal was born in Sakhejung of Ilam District to hill brahmin family of khanal clan

Political life

Early political career

Khanal was a member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist), and was its General Secretary from 1982 to 1986. Later, he became member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist).

Government posts

Khanal served for a time as Minister of Information and Communication in the 1997 coalition government under Surya Bahadur Thapa.[4]

Khanal won the seat of the Ilam 1 constituency in the 2008 Constituent Assembly election. He led the CPN (UML) as General Secretary from 2008 to February 2009 and was elected as the Chairman of the CPN (UML) on February 16, 2009.[1]

Premiership
Jhala Nath Khanal after being elected Prime Minister of Nepal
Oath taking ceremony, 6th Feb 2011

On 3 February 2011, after seven months of political gridlock in which no candidate could muster enough votes to be elected as Prime Minister, Jhala Nath Khanal was elected as Prime Minister by the Constituent Assembly.[2] Khanal received 368 votes in the 601-member parliament, while his nearest rivals, Ram Chandra Poudel of the Nepali Congress got 122 votes and Bijay Kumar Gachhedar of Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum (Loktantrik) got 67 votes.[2]

Nepal had no proper government since Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned in June 2010. Nepal ran interim government for nearly eight months. Sixteen rounds of voting in parliament since July were unable to produce a new Prime minister as no political party could muster a majority.[2] However, on 3 February 2011 the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) withdrew its candidate, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and backed Khanal. As a result, he became the third Prime Minister of Nepal since it became a federal democratic republic in 2008.[2]

Khanal resigned on 29 August 2011 after nearly six months after the parties failed to agree on the constitution drafting and the peace process amidst a new political crisis.[5] The extended duration of Constituent Assembly were to expire on 31 August 2011.[6][7]

The Neapli Congress and the Madhesi parties had asked the Prime Minister to resign immediately after being unsuccessful in completing peace process and drafting a new constitution. Even the party leaders increased pressure on Mr. Khanal in order to prevent the party from notoriety.[8][9]

Electoral history

2017 legislative elections
Ilam 1
Party Candidate Votes
CPN (UML) Jhala Nath Khanal 36,805
Nepali Congress Bhupendra Kattel 19,638
Federal Socialist Forum, Nepal Subas Rai 2,059
Mongol National Organisation Surya Kumar Gurung 1,710
Others 1,902
Invalid votes 2,365
Result CPN (UML) hold
Source: Election Commission

2013 Constituent Assembly election
Sarlahi 1
Party Candidate Votes
Nepali Congress Shambhu Lal Shrestha 9,476
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Jhala Nath Khanal 8,791
Terai Madhesh Sadbhavna Party Chandra Singh Kushwaha 4,588
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal Narayan Shrestha 2,729
Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party Gopal Panjiyar 2,050
Sadbhavana Party Rup Narayan Singh Danuwar 1,614
Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal (Democratic) Shiva Kumar Gurmachhane 1,399
Rastriya Madhesh Samajbadi Party Jagat Narayan Shrestha 1,107
Others 2,466
Result NC gain
Source: NepalNews[10]
Ilam 1
Party Candidate Votes
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Jhala Nath Khanal 17,342
Nepali Congress Himalaya Karmacharya 15,527
Federal Socialist Party, Nepal Devendra Kumar Rai 4,529
UCPN (Maoist) Yuba Kumar Paudel 4,420
Others 2,423
Result CPN (UML) hold
Source: NepalNews[11]

2011 Parliamentary Prime Minister election[12]
Party Candidate Votes Status
CPN (UML) Jhala Nath Khanal 368 Elected
Nepali Congress Ram Chandra Poudel 122 Lost
Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum (Loktantrik) Bijay Kumar Gachhadar 67 Lost

2008 Constituent Assembly election
Ilam 1
Party Candidate Votes
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Jhala Nath Khanal 17,655
Nepali Congress Benup Raj Prasai 13,774
CPN (Maoist) Surya Prakash Bala 10,917
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Lila Devi Shrestha 2,167
Others 2,040
Invalid votes 2,086
Result CPN (UML) gain
Source: Election Commission[13]

1999 legislative elections
Ilam 1
Party Candidate Votes
Nepali Congress Benup Raj Prasai 18,608
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Jhala Nath Khanal 18,502
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Ganesh Rasik Rai 1,919
Others 1,715
Invalid Votes 758
Result Congress gain
Source: Election Commission[14][15]

1994 legislative elections
Ilam 1
Party Candidate Votes
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Jhala Nath Khanal 14,383
Nepali Congress Toya Nath Bhattarai 14,173
Independent Gopal Gurung 1,611
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Chandra Kant Bhat Rai 1,428
Rastriya Janamukti Party Chanra Bahadur Thulung 1,030
Others 508
Result CPN (UML) hold
Source: Election Commission[14]

1991 legislative elections
Ilam 1
Party Candidate Votes
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Jhala Nath Khanal 25,540
Nepali Congress Toya Nath Bhattarai 19,270
Result CPN (UML) gain
Source:

See also

References
  1. Biography of Jhala Nath Khanal Archived 2010-08-09 at the Wayback Machine jnkhanal.com
  2. Manesh Shrestha. "CNN:Nepalese parliament elects new prime minister". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2011-02-06.
  3. "माधव नेपालप्रति ओलीको टिप्पणी : सरकार ढाल्ने, अनि उनैलाई अध्यक्ष बनाउनुपर्ने ?". Online Khabar. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  4. "Nepal gets new leader, but future still jittery". Christian Science Monitor. 4 February 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2011.
  5. Kathmandu, Associated Press in (2011-08-14). "Nepal's prime minister resigns after six months in office". the Guardian. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  6. "Nepalese Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal resigns". BBC News. 2011-08-14. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  7. "प्रधानमन्त्री झलनाथ खनालद्वारा पदबाट राजीनामा". BBC News नेपाली (in Nepali). 2011-08-14. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  8. Jha, Prashant (2011-08-15). "Nepal's Prime Minister resigns". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  9. Chapagain, Kiran (2011-08-14). "Nepal's Prime Minister Resigns, Citing a Stalemate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  10. "Nepalnews.com - News from Nepal as it happens". 2015-03-25. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  11. "Nepalnews.com - News from Nepal as it happens". 2015-03-25. Archived from the original on 2015-03-25. Retrieved 2020-11-23.
  12. "Nepalese parliament elects new prime minister". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  13. "Ca Election report". 2009-10-03. Archived from the original on 2009-10-03. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  14. "Finalised Constituencies With Top Two Candidates". 2008-01-24. Archived from the original on 2008-01-24. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
  15. "Election Results'99". nepalresearch.org. Retrieved 2020-11-15.

Further reading
  • Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal: International Relations and Nepal's Position on World Affairs. Government of Nepal. 2011.
  • Khanala, Jhalanatha; Shahi, Yogendra (2018). Visions of Our Time. Nepal: Janata Prasharan Tatha Prakashan Ltd.
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