# Krishna Prasad Bhattarai

_Nepalese politician (1924-2011)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/krishna-prasad-bhattarai
Last updated: 2026-10-07

> Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, popularly known as Kishunji, was a Nepalese revolutionary, statesman, politician, journalist, novelist, and one of the founding leaders of the Nepali Congress. He was one of the main leaders involved in transitioning Nepal from an absolute monarchy to democracy.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 24 December 1924 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380145#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Varanasi ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380145#P19))
- **Died:** 4 March 2011 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380145#P570))
- **Place of death:** Kathmandu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380145#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380145#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; journalist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380145#P106))
- **Political party:** Nepali Congress ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380145#P102))
- **Positions held:** Prime Minister of Nepal (31 May 1999 – 22 March 2000); Prime Minister of Nepal (19 April 1990 – 26 May 1991); Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal (1959–1960) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380145#P39))

## Public office

- [Prime Minister](https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/prime-minister) (31 May 1999 – 22 March 2000)
- [Prime Minister](https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/prime-minister) (19 April 1990 – 26 May 1991)
- [Speaker of the House of Representatives](https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/speaker) (1 May 1959 – 1 December 1960)
- Officeholder record: https://diginpl.com/next/explore/person/krishna-prasad-bhattarai

## Early life and education

- Affectionately known as Kishunji, he was widely respected with his simple lifestyle and firm principles, earning the title Sānta nētā ("saintly leader") from the public. ([kathmandupost.com](https://kathmandupost.com/opinion/2014/03/04/remembering-kp-bhattarai))
- He remained unmarried throughout his life, had no children or bank account, lived in a government-provided ashram and adopted a ascetic lifestyle. ([myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com](https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/passing-of-a-statesman-saint))
- Following the conquest of kathmandu valley in 1768, he left his ancestral home in Liglig, located in Gorkha, and settled in Paknajol, Kathmandu. ([kathmandupost.com](https://kathmandupost.com/opinion/2014/03/04/remembering-kp-bhattarai))
- Growing up in a family with a long history of service to the kingdom and resistance to the Rana regime, Kishunji was exposed to politics from an early age. ([kathmandupost.com](https://kathmandupost.com/opinion/2014/03/04/remembering-kp-bhattarai))

## Career

- Bhattarai's decision was motivated by the move towards republicanism by the unified Nepali Congress. ([nepalnews.com](http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2007/sep/sep26/news07.php))

_Cited sentences quoted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Krishna_Prasad_Bhattarai&oldid=1361853981), CC BY-SA 4.0._

## Questions

**When was Krishna Prasad Bhattarai born?**  
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai was born on 24 December 1924 in Varanasi.

**What positions has Krishna Prasad Bhattarai held?**  
Positions held by Krishna Prasad Bhattarai include: Prime Minister of Nepal (1999–2000); Prime Minister of Nepal (1990–1991); Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nepal (1959–1960).

## Related

- [K. P. Sharma Oli](https://diginpl.com/people/k-p-sharma-oli)
- [Sushila Karki](https://diginpl.com/people/sushila-karki)
- [Pushpa Kamal Dahal](https://diginpl.com/people/pushpa-kamal-dahal)
- [Girija Prasad Koirala](https://diginpl.com/people/girija-prasad-koirala)
- [Sher Bahadur Deuba](https://diginpl.com/people/sher-bahadur-deuba)
- [Balen Shah](https://diginpl.com/people/balen-shah)
- [Ram Chandra Paudel](https://diginpl.com/people/ram-chandra-paudel)
- [Krishna Bahadur Mahara](https://diginpl.com/people/krishna-bahadur-mahara)
- [Subas Chandra Nembang](https://diginpl.com/people/subas-chandra-nembang)
- [Agni Prasad Sapkota](https://diginpl.com/people/agni-prasad-sapkota)
- [Taranath Ranabhat](https://diginpl.com/people/taranath-ranabhat)
- [Daman Nath Dhungana](https://diginpl.com/people/daman-nath-dhungana)
- [Varanasi](https://diginpl.com/places/varanasi)
- [Kathmandu](https://diginpl.com/places/kathmandu)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Krishna Prasad Bhattarai](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Prasad_Bhattarai) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): कृष्णप्रसाद भट्टराई](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%B7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6_%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%9F%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9F%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%88) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q380145](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380145) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Krishna bhattarai.jpg by Ganesh Paudel at Nepali Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Krishna_bhattarai.jpg)
- [Wikipedia (English), revision used for cited facts: Krishna Prasad Bhattarai](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Krishna_Prasad_Bhattarai&oldid=1361853981) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [kathmandupost.com: Remembering KP Bhattarai](https://kathmandupost.com/opinion/2014/03/04/remembering-kp-bhattarai)
- [myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com: Passing of a statesman-saint (2024-08-08)](https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/passing-of-a-statesman-saint)
- [nepalnews.com: Nepalnews.com article](http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2007/sep/sep26/news07.php)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Krishna bhattarai.jpg — Ganesh Paudel at Nepali Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.

## Cite this page

"Krishna Prasad Bhattarai". DigiNepal. Last updated 7 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/krishna-prasad-bhattarai. Retrieved 21 October 2026.