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Jhala Nath Khanal
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Jhala Nath Khanal

झलनाथ खनाल

Nepalese politician

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Jhala Nath Khanal (Nepali: झलनाथ खनाल, [d͡zʱʌlʌˈnatʰ ˈkʰʌnal] ; born 20 May 1950) is a Nepalese politician who was the 35th Prime Minister of Nepal from February 2011 to August 2011. He was previously the chairman of the CPN (UML) and Leader of the Constituent Assembly Parliamentary Party of the CPN (UML).

Quick facts

Born
wd
Place of birth
Kathmandu wd
Citizenship
Nepal wd
Occupation
politician wd
Political party
Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) wd
Education
Amrit Science College wd
Official website
jnkhanal.com wd

Public office

Officeholder record, tenure and sources →

Positions held wd

  • Member of the 2nd Constituent Assembly of Nepal (19 November 2013 – 13 October 2017)
  • Prime Minister of Nepal (6 February 2011 – 29 August 2011)

About

Since 5 November 2025, he has been serving as the senior leader of the Nepali Communist Party, a new party formed through merger of eight different communist parties and splinter groups.

Career

Quoted from Wikipedia: Jhala Nath Khanal (CC BY-SA 4.0); each sentence links the source Wikipedia cites for it. Checked 7 November 2026.

  • Khanal served for a time as Minister of Information and Communication in the 1997 coalition government under Surya Bahadur Thapa. Christian Science Monitor
  • He led the CPN (UML) as General Secretary from 2008 to February 2009 and was elected Chairman of the CPN (UML) on February 16, 2009. web.archive.org

Key decisions and achievements

  • On 3 February 2011, after seven months of political gridlock in which no candidate could muster enough votes to be elected as Prime Minister, Jhala Nath Khanal was elected Prime Minister by the 1st Nepalese Constituent Assembly. CNN
  • Khanal received 368 votes in the 601-member parliament, while his nearest rivals, Ram Chandra Poudel of the Nepali Congress got 122 votes and Bijay Kumar Gachhedar of Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum (Loktantrik) got 67 votes. CNN
  • Sixteen rounds of voting in parliament since July were unable to produce a new Prime minister as no political party could muster a majority. CNN
  • As a result, he became the third Prime Minister of Nepal since it became a federal democratic republic in 2008. CNN
  • Khanal resigned on 29 August 2011 after nearly six months after the parties failed to agree on the constitution drafting and the peace process amidst a new political crisis. Associated Press
  • The extended duration of Constituent Assembly was to expire on 31 August 2011. BBC News BBC News नेपाली

In the news All news →

Questions

When was Jhala Nath Khanal born?
Jhala Nath Khanal was born on 20 May 1950 in Kathmandu.
What positions has Jhala Nath Khanal held?
Positions held by Jhala Nath Khanal include: Member of the 2nd Constituent Assembly of Nepal (2013–2017); Prime Minister of Nepal (2011–2011).
Where did Jhala Nath Khanal study?
Jhala Nath Khanal was educated at Amrit Science College.

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (English): Jhala Nath Khanal · CC BY-SA 4.0
  2. Wikipedia (Nepali): झलनाथ खनाल · CC BY-SA 4.0
  3. Wikidata item Q57819 · CC0 1.0
  4. Image: Jhala Nath Khanal 2011-03-20.jpg by Nirbhik CK (CC BY-SA 3.0)
  5. Wikipedia (English), revision used for cited facts: Jhala Nath Khanal · CC BY-SA 4.0
  6. Christian Science Monitor: Nepal gets new leader, but future still jittery (4 February 2011)
  7. web.archive.org: Biography of Jhala Nath Khanal
  8. CNN: CNN:Nepalese parliament elects new prime minister
  9. Associated Press: Nepal's prime minister resigns after six months in office (2011-08-14)
  10. BBC News: Nepalese Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal resigns (2011-08-14)
  11. BBC News नेपाली: प्रधानमन्त्री झलनाथ खनालद्वारा पदबाट राजीनामा (2011-08-14)

Last updated · facts checked 7 November 2026

Cite this page

"Jhala Nath Khanal". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/jhala-nath-khanal. Retrieved 7 November 2026.

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Text from the Wikipedia article Jhala Nath Khanal, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Jhala Nath Khanal 2011-03-20.jpg — Nirbhik CK, CC BY-SA 3.0.

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