CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has been elected as the 39^th prime minister of the country after securing the required majority in the Parliament.

This is Dahal’s second tenure to the country’s top executive post.  

Dahal secured 363 votes during the election for the post of PM held at Legislature-Parliament on Wednesday, while 210 votes were cast against him.

​​House Speaker Onsari Gharti announced Dahal's victory after he secured a majority votes in the election conducted at the Legislature-Parliament. Dahal was the only candidate for the election.

He was supported by Nepali Congress, Sanghiya Gathabandhan, Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and other fringe parties during the election. 

Of the total 595 parliamentarians, 573 lawmakers participated in voting during the election.

Dahal’s first tenure as PM was followed by his party’s victory in the first Constituent Assembly election. The then CPN-Maoist became the largest party in the election and Dahal took office as the country’s 33^rd prime minister on 18 August, 2008 after the country was declared republic.

His first tenure as PM lasted for 280 days. Following the controversial sacking of then Nepal Army Chief of Army Staff Rukmangad Katuwal, Dahal resigned from the post on 4 May, 2009.

Dahal has also become the only communist leader to become the PM of the country for two times.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal's Biography

Born    December 11, 1954

1978    Starts politics with the CPN (Fourth Convention)

1985    Elected central member of CPN (Masal)

1986    Party splits, Dahal sides with Mohan Baidya-led party

1980    Becomes party’s general secretary after Baidya resigns following a fiasco popularly known as “sector incident”

1992    Becomes general secy of CPN (Unity Centre)

1995    General secy of CPN (Maoist) 

2001    Becomes chairman of the CPN (Maoist)

1996    Leads a decade-long armed rebellion which ended in 2006 leaving around 16,000 dead, thousand others disappeared and displaced and disabled

June 16,’06    Appears overground in Baluwatar

Aug 18,’08    Becomes first prime minister of republic Nepal

May 25,’09    Steps down following a row over sacking of then Army chief

Nov ’13    His party faces major setback in second CA elections, gets lapsed into third position

Aug 3,’16    Elected 39th prime minister; become first communist to return to power twice