Jhala Nath Khanal (, ; 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). jnkhanal.com
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.
Life Khanal was born in Sakhejung of Ilam District to a hill Brahmin family of the Khanal clan.
Political career Khanal was a member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist), and its General Secretary from 1982 to 1986. Later, he became a member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist).
Government posts Khanal served for a time as Minister of Information and Communication in the 1997 coalition government under Surya Bahadur Thapa.
Khanal won the seat of the Ilam 1 constituency in the 2008 Constituent Assembly election. 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.
Premiership
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. 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.
Nepal had no proper government since Madhav Kumar Nepal resigned in June 2010. Nepal ran interim government for nearly eight months. Sixteen rounds of voting in parliament since July were unable to produce a new Prime minister as no political party could muster a majority. However, on 3 February 2011 the Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) withdrew its candidate, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, and backed Khanal. As a result, he became the third Prime Minister of Nepal since it became a federal democratic republic in 2008.
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. The extended duration of Constituent Assembly was to expire on 31 August 2011.
The Nepali Congress and the Madhesi parties had asked the Prime Minister to resign immediately after being unsuccessful in completing peace process and drafting a new constitution. Even the party leaders increased pressure on Mr. Khanal in order to prevent the party from notoriety.
Electoral history
2022 legislative election
2017 legislative elections Ilam 1PartyCandidateVotesCPN (UML)Jhala Nath Khanal36,805Nepali CongressBhupendra Kattel19,638Federal Socialist Forum, NepalSubas Rai2,059Mongol National OrganisationSurya Kumar Gurung1,710Others1,902Invalid votes2,365ResultCPN (UML) holdSource: Election Commission
2013 Constituent Assembly election Sarlahi 1PartyCandidateVotesNepali CongressShambhu Lal Shrestha9,476CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Jhala Nath Khanal8,791Terai Madhesh Sadbhavna PartyChandra Singh Kushwaha4,588Rastriya Prajatantra Party NepalNarayan Shrestha2,729Terai Madhesh Loktantrik PartyGopal Panjiyar2,050Sadbhavana PartyRup Narayan Singh Danuwar1,614Madhesi Jana Adhikar Forum, Nepal (Democratic)Shiva Kumar Gurmachhane1,399Rastriya Madhesh Samajbadi PartyJagat Narayan Shrestha1,107Others2,466ResultNC gainSource: NepalNews Ilam 1PartyCandidateVotesCPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Jhala Nath Khanal17,342Nepali CongressHimalaya Karmacharya15,527Federal Socialist Party, NepalDevendra Kumar Rai4,529UCPN (Maoist)Yuba Kumar Paudel4,420Others2,423ResultCPN (UML) holdSource: NepalNews
2011 Parliamentary Prime Minister election PartyCandidateVotesStatusCPN (UML)Jhala Nath Khanal368ElectedNepali CongressRam Chandra Poudel122LostMadhesi Jana Adhikar Forum (Loktantrik)Bijay Kumar Gachhadar67Lost
2008 Constituent Assembly election Ilam 1PartyCandidateVotesCPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Jhala Nath Khanal17,655Nepali CongressBenup Raj Prasai13,774CPN (Maoist)Surya Prakash Bala10,917Rastriya Prajatantra PartyLila Devi Shrestha2,167Others2,040Invalid votes2,086ResultCPN (UML) gainSource: Election Commission
1999 legislative elections Ilam 1PartyCandidateVotesNepali CongressBenup Raj Prasai18,608CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Jhala Nath Khanal18,502Rastriya Prajatantra PartyGanesh Rasik Rai1,919Others1,715Invalid Votes758ResultCongress gainSource: Election Commission
1994 legislative elections Ilam 1PartyCandidateVotesCPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Jhala Nath Khanal14,383Nepali CongressToya Nath Bhattarai14,173IndependentGopal Gurung1,611Rastriya Prajatantra PartyChandra Kant Bhat Rai1,428Rastriya Janamukti PartyChanra Bahadur Thulung1,030Others508ResultCPN (UML) holdSource: Election Commission
1991 legislative elections Ilam 1PartyCandidateVotesCPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Jhala Nath Khanal25,540Nepali CongressToya Nath Bhattarai19,270ResultCPN (UML) gainSource:
See also 2021 split in Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
Notes
References
Further reading
External links
Official website of CPN UML