# Gagan Thapa

_Nepali politician_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/gagan-thapa
Last updated: 2026-10-18

> Gagan Kumar Thapa is a Nepali politician serving as the president of the Nepali Congress since 2026. He was the prime ministerial candidate for the Nepali Congress in the 2026 general election.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 16 July 1976 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Kathmandu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; businessperson ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183#P106))
- **Political party:** Nepali Congress ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183#P102))
- **Education:** Tribhuvan University ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183#P69))
- **Official website:** gaganthapa.com.np ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183#P856))
- **Positions held:** president (since 14 January 2026 · BS 29 Poush 2082 onwards); Member of the 2nd Constituent Assembly of Nepal (19 November 2013 – 13 October 2017) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183#P39))
- **X (Twitter):** thapagk ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183#P2002))
- **Facebook:** thapagk ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183#P2013))

## Public office

- Officeholder record: https://diginpl.com/next/explore/person/gagan-kumar-thapa

## Early life and education

- He completed his Bachelors of Science in chemistry from Tri Chandra College in 1998 and M.A. in sociology from Tribhuvan University in 2003. ([www.ratopati.com](https://www.ratopati.com/story/598538/who-is-the-newly-elected-nepali-congress-president-gagan-thapa))
- In 2008, Thapa was married to Anjana KC, daughter of Arjun Narsingh KC. ([www.nepalicongress.org](https://www.nepalicongress.org/index.php?linkId=26))

## Career

- He was a Committee Member of the Nepal Students Union from 1998 to 2002, Vice President from 2000 to 2002, and its General Secretary from 2002 to 2004. ([kathmandupost.com](https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/01/15/gagan-thapa-s-long-political-journey-to-party-leadership))
- He called for greater involvement of youth in the movement, and called on students to take to the streets to launch a decisive movement for the restoration of democracy. ([The Himalayan Times](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/education-strike-schools-colleges-shut/), [The Himalayan Times](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/students-for-drive-to-revive-democracy/))
- He was jailed on charges of sedition in 2004. ([archive.nepalitimes.com](http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5061))
- Thapa was immediately rearrested and served with a 90-day detention order under the Public Security Act (PSA). ([Amnesty International](https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/84000/asa310432005en.pdf))
- He was declared a Prisoner of Conscience by Amnesty International. ([www.amnestynepal.org](http://www.amnestynepal.org/campaigns/ai-nepal-activities/ai-nepal%E2%80%99s-17th-national-council-meeting.html), [archive.nepalitimes.com](http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=676))
- Following a Special Court order in July 2005, Thapa was arrested from the Singha Durbar Ward Police Station where he had gone to meet his colleagues, and was subsequently interrogated by The Office of the Kathmandu District Government Attorney for his involvement in 'offense against the state' by chanting anti-monarchy slogans at a rally. ([The Himalayan Times](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/gagan-thapa-arrested-in-7-day-remand/), [The Himalayan Times](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/i-was-exercising-a-right-thapa/))

## Key decisions and achievements

- Thapa has long expressed his desire for party reformation and has worked to that end for more than a decade, calling for the replacement of the general and active membership in 2015 He was kicked from Nepali Congress on 14 January 2026 for not following party rules and regulations. ([kathmandupost.com](https://kathmandupost.com/interviews/2016/03/05/transforming-party-my-goal-gagan-thapa), [The Himalayan Times](https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/thapa-continue-efforts-congress-transformation/), [The Himalayan Times](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/nc-cwc-divided-over-report-on-active-membership/))
- Later he was elected as president and prime minister candidate of party from the 2nd special convention of Nepali Congress which was recognized by election commission later. ([The Himalayan Times](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/gagan-thapa-elected-nepali-congress-president), [kathmandupost.com](https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/01/16/election-commission-recognises-gagan-thapa-led-nepali-congress))
- Thapa was re-elected as a president of the party in the 15th general convention which was held in Kathmandu from 4 to 8 October, 2026. ([Setopati](https://en.setopati.com/political/167384/), [english.onlinekhabar.com](https://english.onlinekhabar.com/gagan-thapa-takes-oath-as-nepali-congress-president.html))

## Notable statements

- During the 12th National Convention of the NSU in 2007, Thapa pulled out his candidacy for the post of President, claiming that "The NC leadership has remained biased against me and therefore I have declared that I would not contest". ([The Himalayan Times](https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/nsu-convention-today/))

_Cited sentences quoted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gagan_Thapa&oldid=1380761096), CC BY-SA 4.0._

## Questions

**When was Gagan Thapa born?**  
Gagan Thapa was born on 16 July 1976 in Kathmandu.

**What positions has Gagan Thapa held?**  
Positions held by Gagan Thapa include: president (since 14 January 2026); Member of the 2nd Constituent Assembly of Nepal (2013–2017).

**Where did Gagan Thapa study?**  
Gagan Thapa was educated at Tribhuvan University.

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Gagan Thapa](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gagan_Thapa) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): गगन कुमार थापा](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q3757183](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3757183) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Gagan Thapa गगन थापा Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha (cropped).jpg by Gunjan Raj Giri (CC0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gagan_Thapa_%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%BE_Member_of_Parliament,_Pratinidhi_Sabha_(cropped).jpg)
- [Wikipedia (English), revision used for cited facts: Gagan Thapa](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gagan_Thapa&oldid=1380761096) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [www.ratopati.com: को हुन् नवनिर्वाचित कांग्रेस सभापति गगन थापा ?](https://www.ratopati.com/story/598538/who-is-the-newly-elected-nepali-congress-president-gagan-thapa)
- [www.nepalicongress.org: NepaliCongress.org](https://www.nepalicongress.org/index.php?linkId=26)
- [kathmandupost.com: Gagan Thapa’s long political journey to party leadership](https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/01/15/gagan-thapa-s-long-political-journey-to-party-leadership)
- [The Himalayan Times: Education strike: Schools, colleges shut (23 April 2004)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/education-strike-schools-colleges-shut/)
- [The Himalayan Times: Students for drive to revive democracy (7 April 2005)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/students-for-drive-to-revive-democracy/)
- [archive.nepalitimes.com: At the gates- Nepali Times](http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5061)
- [Amnesty International: Nepal Crisis Alert Action: Student Activists (May 2005)](https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/84000/asa310432005en.pdf)
- [www.amnestynepal.org: AI Nepal's 17th National Council Meeting](http://www.amnestynepal.org/campaigns/ai-nepal-activities/ai-nepal%E2%80%99s-17th-national-council-meeting.html)
- [archive.nepalitimes.com: Damned if they do, damned if they don't- Nepali Times](http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=676)
- [The Himalayan Times: Gagan Thapa arrested; in 7-day remand (26 July 2005)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/gagan-thapa-arrested-in-7-day-remand/)
- [The Himalayan Times: I was exercising a right: Thapa (30 July 2005)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/i-was-exercising-a-right-thapa/)
- [kathmandupost.com: Transforming party my goal: Gagan Thapa](https://kathmandupost.com/interviews/2016/03/05/transforming-party-my-goal-gagan-thapa)
- [The Himalayan Times: Thapa to continue efforts for Congress transformation (9 March 2016)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/thapa-continue-efforts-congress-transformation/)
- [The Himalayan Times: Nepali Congress CWC divided over report on active membership (17 December 2015)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/nc-cwc-divided-over-report-on-active-membership/)
- [The Himalayan Times: Gagan Thapa elected Nepali Congress President (15 January 2026)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/kathmandu/gagan-thapa-elected-nepali-congress-president)
- [kathmandupost.com: Election Commission recognises Gagan Thapa-led Nepali Congress](https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/01/16/election-commission-recognises-gagan-thapa-led-nepali-congress)
- [Setopati: Gagan Thapa elected Nepali Congress president](https://en.setopati.com/political/167384/)
- [english.onlinekhabar.com: Gagan Thapa takes oath as Nepali Congress president - OnlineKhabar English News (2026-10-17)](https://english.onlinekhabar.com/gagan-thapa-takes-oath-as-nepali-congress-president.html)
- [The Himalayan Times: NSU convention today (20 May 2007)](https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/nsu-convention-today/)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Gagan Thapa, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Gagan Thapa गगन थापा Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha (cropped).jpg — Gunjan Raj Giri, CC0.

## Cite this page

"Gagan Thapa". DigiNepal. Last updated 18 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/gagan-thapa. Retrieved 21 October 2026.