Who is KP Sharma Oli | Nepal's New Prime Minister

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli will be the new Prime Minister of Nepal again. This is because the current Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda', did not get enough support in Parliament. Prachanda had survived four trust votes before.

KP Oli, the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), claimed he could form a new government. He told President Ramchandra Paudel he had the support of 165 lawmakers, including 77 from his party and 88 from the Nepali Congress.

Prachanda, who is 69 years old, lost his position after more than 18 months because he didn't get enough votes in the House of Representatives.

Who is KP Sharma Oli?

• KP Sharma Oli was born in 1952. He started his political career in 1966 and joined the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) in 1970. He was first arrested because he was involved in the democracy movement and pushing for a republican state.
• According to The Indian Express, KP Oli's time as Prime Minister was marked by big promises like "Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali," but he faced criticism for not meeting expectations and centralizing power, including bringing investigative agencies under the Prime Minister’s Office.
• After the 2022 elections, the Nepali Congress (NC) became the largest party, followed by the CPN-UML, with the Maoist Centre third. The CPN-Maoist Center's Chairperson Pushpa Kamal Dahal wanted to be Prime Minister, but the NC, holding the majority, refused. Dahal then got support from the CPN-UML and the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and was appointed Prime Minister, becoming a kingmaker.
• The coalition eventually dissolved, allowing KP Oli to take over from Prachanda. This is a new chapter for the politically unstable Himalayan nation, which has had 13 different governments since ending the monarchy and becoming a republic in 2008.