Pushpa Kamal Dahal

Pushpa Kamal Dahal (born Ghanashyam Dahal; 11 December 1954), popularly known as Prachanda, is a Nepalese politician. He is a member of House of Representatives elected from Eastern Rukum. He has been the prime minister of Nepal for three terms: from 2008 to 2009, from 2016 to 2017, and again from December 2022 until July 2024. His third term ended on 12 July 2024 after he lost a vote of confidence in parliament. He was then succeeded by K. P. Sharma Oli. After leaving office, Dahal became the Leader of the Opposition on 15 July 2024, remaining in that position until September 2025.

Having been drawn to left-wing politics after seeing severe poverty during his youth, Dahal joined the Communist Party of Nepal (Fourth Convention) in 1981, and later became general secretary of the Communist Party of Nepal (Mashal) in 1989. This party later became the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist). Dahal was the leader of the CPN (M) during the country's civil war and subsequent peace process and the 1st Nepalese constituent assembly. In the 2008 elections, CPN(M) emerged as the largest party, and Dahal became prime minister in August of that year. He resigned from the post on 4 May 2009, after his attempt to sack the then army chief, Rookmangud Katawal, was opposed by then President Ram Baran Yadav. Dahal was sworn in as prime minister for a second time in 2016, as per an agreement to form a rotational government with the Nepali Congress, and resigned on 24 May 2017 to make way for Congress' Sher Bahadur Deuba. Following the 2022 general election, Dahal was sworn in as prime minister again in December 2022, with support from a coalition of parties including CPN (UML), Rastriya Swatantra Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Dahal remained in power for 19 months, changing alliances between the UML and Congress three times, before he was ousted by a failed motion of confidence in the parliament on 12 July 2024.