# Jhala Nath Khanal

_Nepalese politician_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/jhala-nath-khanal
Last updated: 2026-10-07

> Jhala Nath Khanal 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:** 20 May 1950 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57819#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Kathmandu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57819#P19))
- **Citizenship:** Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57819#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57819#P106))
- **Political party:** Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57819#P102))
- **Education:** Amrit Science College ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57819#P69))
- **Official website:** jnkhanal.com ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57819#P856))
- **Positions held:** Member of the 2nd Constituent Assembly of Nepal (19 November 2013 – 13 October 2017); Prime Minister of Nepal (6 February 2011 – 29 August 2011) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57819#P39))

## Public office

- [Prime Minister](https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/prime-minister) (6 February 2011 – 29 August 2011)
- Officeholder record: https://diginpl.com/next/explore/person/jhala-nath-khanal

## Career

- Khanal served for a time as Minister of Information and Communication in the 1997 coalition government under Surya Bahadur Thapa. ([Christian Science Monitor](https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0204/Nepal-gets-new-leader-but-future-still-jittery))
- 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](https://web.archive.org/web/20100809013614/http://jnkhanal.com/biography.html))

## 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](http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/02/03/nepal.prime.minister/index.html))
- 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](http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/02/03/nepal.prime.minister/index.html))
- 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](http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/02/03/nepal.prime.minister/index.html))
- As a result, he became the third Prime Minister of Nepal since it became a federal democratic republic in 2008. ([CNN](http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/02/03/nepal.prime.minister/index.html))
- 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](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/14/nepal-prime-minister-resigns))
- The extended duration of Constituent Assembly was to expire on 31 August 2011. ([BBC News](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-14523275), [BBC News नेपाली](https://www.bbc.com/nepali/news/2011/08/110813_pm_resigns))

_Cited sentences quoted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jhala_Nath_Khanal&oldid=1375167415), CC BY-SA 4.0._

## 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.

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- [Balen Shah](https://diginpl.com/people/balen-shah)
- [Kathmandu](https://diginpl.com/places/kathmandu)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Jhala Nath Khanal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jhala_Nath_Khanal) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): झलनाथ खनाल](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%9D%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A5_%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q57819](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57819) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Jhala Nath Khanal 2011-03-20.jpg by Nirbhik CK (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jhala_Nath_Khanal_2011-03-20.jpg)
- [Wikipedia (English), revision used for cited facts: Jhala Nath Khanal](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jhala_Nath_Khanal&oldid=1375167415) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Christian Science Monitor: Nepal gets new leader, but future still jittery (4 February 2011)](https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0204/Nepal-gets-new-leader-but-future-still-jittery)
- [web.archive.org: Biography of Jhala Nath Khanal](https://web.archive.org/web/20100809013614/http://jnkhanal.com/biography.html)
- [CNN: CNN:Nepalese parliament elects new prime minister](http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/02/03/nepal.prime.minister/index.html)
- [Associated Press: Nepal's prime minister resigns after six months in office (2011-08-14)](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/aug/14/nepal-prime-minister-resigns)
- [BBC News: Nepalese Prime Minister Jhalanath Khanal resigns (2011-08-14)](https://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-14523275)
- [BBC News नेपाली: प्रधानमन्त्री झलनाथ खनालद्वारा पदबाट राजीनामा (2011-08-14)](https://www.bbc.com/nepali/news/2011/08/110813_pm_resigns)

## Licence and attribution

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.

## Cite this page

"Jhala Nath Khanal". DigiNepal. Last updated 7 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/jhala-nath-khanal. Retrieved 21 October 2026.