Born in Sakhejung, Ilam District
Jhala Nath Khanal
झलनाथ खनाल
35th Prime Minister of Nepal and former chairman of CPN (UML)
About
Jhala Nath Khanal became a pro-democracy student activist in the 1960s. He rose through the ranks of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist). He served as its general secretary and later as its chairman.
In February 2011, he was elected Prime Minister with support from Maoist members of parliament. After six months, he resigned. This followed a deadlock, a situation where no side could agree, over the new constitution and the peace process. He then handed power to Baburam Bhattarai.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1950-05-20
- Birthplace
- Sakhejung, Ilam, Nepal
- Profession
- Politician
- Nationality
- Nepal
- Status
- Alive
Previous roles
Prime Minister of Nepal
Government of Nepal · 2011-02-06–2011-08-29
Chairman
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) · 2009-02-16–2014-07-15
Member of the House of Representatives
Federal Parliament of Nepal · 2018-03-04–2022-09-18
Career & life timeline
- 1950
- 1965
Became active as a pro-democracy student campaigner
- 1993
Became General Secretary of CPN (UML)
- 2011-02
Became the 35th Prime Minister of Nepal, succeeding Madhav Kumar Nepal
- 2011-08
Resigned as Prime Minister, succeeded by Baburam Bhattarai
Organizations & affiliations
- CPN (UML)
- CPN (Unified Socialist)
Related people
Last updated: 2026-09-06