# Matrika Prasad Koirala

_Nepalese politician and former prime minister (1912–1997)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/matrika-prasad-koirala
Last updated: 2026-10-17

> Matrika Prasad Koirala was a Nepalese revolutionary and politician. He was the first non-aristocratic citizen to serve as the Prime Minister of Nepal, holding office in two separate terms. He played a significant role in Nepal's democratic movements, particularly the 1950–1951 revolution, which brought an end to the 104-year-long Rana regime, and was a prominent leader of the Nepali Congress. He was the elder brother of B. P. Koirala and Girija Prasad Koirala, both of whom also served as prime ministers of Nepal.

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 1 January 1912 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1398637#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Varanasi ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1398637#P19))
- **Died:** 11 September 1997 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1398637#P570))
- **Place of death:** Kathmandu ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1398637#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Nepal ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1398637#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1398637#P106))
- **Political party:** Nepali Congress ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1398637#P102))
- **Positions held:** Prime Minister of Nepal (15 June 1953 – 14 April 1955); Prime Minister of Nepal (16 November 1951 – 14 August 1952) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1398637#P39))

## Public office

- [Prime Minister](https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/prime-minister) (15 June 1953 – 14 April 1955)
- [Prime Minister](https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/prime-minister) (16 November 1951 – 14 August 1952)
- Officeholder record: https://diginpl.com/next/explore/person/matrika-prasad-koirala

## Early life and education

- Unlike most members of the Congress-dominated Koirala family, Kamal Prasad Koirala was associated with communist ideology. ([The Diplomat Nepal](https://diplomatnepal.com/feature/kamal-koirala/))

## Career

- Both brothers were arrested and imprisoned by the British Raj for three months in 1930. ([Spiny Babbler](http://www.spinybabbler.org/literature/personalities/bp_koirala.htm))
- Koirala became the first President of Nepali Congress, when it was formed as a result of the merger of Nepali National Congress and Nepal Democratic Congress in April 1950. ([nepalicongress.org](http://www.nepalicongress.org/files/introduction.php))
- In 1952, he was expelled from the Nepali Congress for "violating the party principles and acting against the Constitution of 1951". ([Important Landmarks](http://www.nepalicongress.org/index.php?linkId=2))
- Koirala also served as Nepal's permanent representative to the UN and ambassador to the United States from 1961 to 1964. ([Lions Clubs International District 325 A1 Nepal](http://www.lions325a1.org.np/about-us/lionism-in-nepal/))

_Cited sentences quoted from Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matrika_Prasad_Koirala&oldid=1380596560), CC BY-SA 4.0._

## Questions

**When was Matrika Prasad Koirala born?**  
Matrika Prasad Koirala was born on 1 January 1912 in Varanasi.

**What positions has Matrika Prasad Koirala held?**  
Positions held by Matrika Prasad Koirala include: Prime Minister of Nepal (1953–1955); Prime Minister of Nepal (1951–1952).

## 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)
- [Varanasi](https://diginpl.com/places/varanasi)
- [Kathmandu](https://diginpl.com/places/kathmandu)

## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Matrika Prasad Koirala](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrika_Prasad_Koirala) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikipedia (Nepali): मातृकाप्रसाद कोइराला](https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A6_%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%87%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q1398637](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1398637) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Matrika Prasad Koirala (cropped).jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (Public domain)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Matrika_Prasad_Koirala_(cropped).jpg)
- [Wikipedia (English), revision used for cited facts: Matrika Prasad Koirala](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Matrika_Prasad_Koirala&oldid=1380596560) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [The Diplomat Nepal: Kamal Koirala – Ambassador Who Corrected Buddha's Birthplace in Korean Textbooks (2025-06-16)](https://diplomatnepal.com/feature/kamal-koirala/)
- [Spiny Babbler: Bisheshwor Prasad Koirala](http://www.spinybabbler.org/literature/personalities/bp_koirala.htm)
- [nepalicongress.org: Nepali Congress:An introduction](http://www.nepalicongress.org/files/introduction.php)
- [Important Landmarks: Nepali Congress](http://www.nepalicongress.org/index.php?linkId=2)
- [Lions Clubs International District 325 A1 Nepal: Frist Lions Club in Nepal](http://www.lions325a1.org.np/about-us/lionism-in-nepal/)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Matrika Prasad Koirala, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Matrika Prasad Koirala (cropped).jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, Public domain.

## Cite this page

"Matrika Prasad Koirala". DigiNepal. Last updated 17 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/matrika-prasad-koirala. Retrieved 21 October 2026.