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Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 1, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth11 December 1954

Age69 Years

BirthplaceDhikur Pokhari, Kaski District, Nepal

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityNepalese

Marital statusWidower

SpouseSita Dahal

FamilyParents: Muktiram Dahal and Bhawani Dahal; Children: Prakash Dahal, Ganga, Renu; Daughter Gyanu KC (deceased)

Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) Biography

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as Prachanda, is a Nepalese politician and longtime leader of the Maoist movement who has served multiple terms as the‑

Early life and background

Pushpa Kamal Dahal was born on 11 December 1954 in Dhikur Pokhari, Kaski District, Nepal. He grew up in a family that included his parents Muktiram Dahal and Bhawani Dahal. Prachanda studied at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS) in Rampur, Chitwan, where he completed a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and animal science. His hometown is listed as Chitwan District.

Before entering full-time politics he worked as a teacher for six years and later took a post with USAID in Jajarkot, where he encountered conditions of poverty and inequality that influenced his political outlook. He has said to enjoy reading and is known to wear Swiss Rado watches.

Political career

Dahal’s political activity began in the early 1970s. He became involved in leftist organizing in 1972 and moved through a series of Marxist and communist formations during the following decades. In the later 1970s and 1980s he joined CPN (Fourth Convention) and rose through party structures: by 1980 he was a member of the Chitwan District Committee, and through the mid‑1980s he served in regional and youth leadership positions, including as general secretary and later president of the All Nepal Youth Association.

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s Dahal was active in several communist regroupings. He served as central committee and politburo member in successor parties and was general secretary of the CPN (Unity Centre) in 1992 and of the CPN (Maoist) in 1995. In 1996 he announced the People’s War and became the supreme commander of the People’s Liberation Army during the decade of armed insurgency that followed.

After roughly 25 years largely underground, Dahal emerged publicly in 2006. He then moved from leading an armed movement into mainstream politics and government. On 18 August 2008 he became Nepal’s prime minister for the first time, serving until 25 May 2009. He won parliamentary seats from Kathmandu-10 and Rolpa-2 in 2009. Dahal later returned as prime minister twice more: he served again beginning in 2016 and was appointed for a third term on 25 December 2022. In July 2024 his government lost a vote of confidence after a coalition partner withdrew support.

Public profile

Prachanda has been a central figure in Nepal’s contemporary political history, moving from underground leadership of an armed movement to head of government in the republican era. His party affiliation is with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre). He has been a polarizing figure in Nepalese politics because of his role in the insurgency and the long transition to mainstream politics that followed.

Personal life

Prachanda was married to Sita Dahal; she worked as an adviser to the Maoist party and died on 12 July 2023 after a neurological illness. They had children including a son, Prakash Dahal, and daughters Ganga and Renu; another daughter, Gyanu KC, predeceased her mother. His family background and personal details such as his religion (Hinduism) and reported tastes — for example, a preference for Blue Label whisky — have been noted in public profiles.

Latest updates

In 2024 his coalition government failed to maintain a parliamentary majority when a partner withdrew support, and he lost a vote of confidence on 3 July 2024. That event followed decades of political work spanning underground insurgency, the transition to a republican polity, and multiple terms as prime minister.

Throughout a long and contested political career, Dahal has remained a key actor in Nepal’s shift from monarchy to republic and in shaping the country’s post‑conflict political landscape.
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Recent Work

Prime Minister of Nepal (third appointment)

Appointed as Prime Minister on 25 December 2022; lost a vote of confidence on 3 July 2024 after a coalition partner withdrew support.

2022–2024
Prime Minister of Nepal (second term)

Served a second term as prime minister during 2016–2017 and resigned on 24 May 2017.

2016–2017
Prime Minister of Nepal (first term)

First became prime minister on 18 August 2008 and served until 25 May 2009.

2008–2009
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Career Highlights

  1. Led the People’s Liberation Army as supreme commander during the Maoist insurgency after declaring the People’s War in 1996.
  2. Came out of roughly 25 years underground and moved into mainstream politics in 2006.
  3. Served as Prime Minister of Nepal in 2008–2009, 2016–2017, and was appointed again in December 2022.
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) born?

11 December 1954

What is Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) known for?

Politician

What is Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda)’s marital status?

Widower

Who is Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) married to?

Sita Dahal