Sher Bahadur Deuba

Template:Infobox officeholder Template:Sher Bahadur Deuba series Sher Bahadur DeubaTemplate:Efn (born 13 June 1946) is a Nepalese politician who served as the 32nd prime minister of Nepal for five terms (1995–1997, 2001–2002, 2004–2005, 2017–2018 and 2021–2022). He has been the president of the Nepali Congress since 2016 and was the Member of Parliament for the parliamentary constituency of Dadeldhura 1 before the parliament was dissolved on 12th September 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Born and raised in Ashigram, a remote village in Ganyapdhura Rural Municipality of Dadeldhura, Deuba completed his primary education there and his secondary education in Doti. He completed his higher education at Tri-Chandra College In 1991, he was elected to the House of Representatives and served as the Minister of Home Affairs in the cabinet led by Girija Prasad Koirala. Deuba became prime minister after Man Mohan Adhikari tried to dissolve the parliament for the second time in two years in 1995.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He oversaw the signature of the Mahakali treaty with India during his first term. His second premiership started in July 2001 amidst the rise of the Maoists and he later declared a state of emergency and listed the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) as a "terrorist organization".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was dismissed by King Gyanendra in October 2002, but after a public backlash, he was reappointed prime minister in June 2004. He was arrested after the 2005 coup d'état by King Gyanendra, and released in February 2006 after the Supreme Court declared his arrest unlawful.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Deuba was sworn in as prime minister for a fourth stint in June 2017, as per an agreement to form a rotational government by Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His government successfully conducted the elections of all three levels of government in different phases in 2017. On 12 July 2021, the Supreme Court ordered the appointment of Deuba as prime minister within 28 hours, and he was appointed prime minister for a fifth term by President Bidya Devi Bhandari in accordance with Article 76(5) of the Constitution of Nepal the next day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Deuba is married to Arzu Rana Deuba. They have a son, Jaybir Sing Deuba.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early life and education

Deuba was born on 13 June 1946 in Ashigram, Kingdom of Nepal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He completed his primary education from Ashigram Primary School. He then attended Mahendra High School in Doti where he completed his School Leaving Certificate exam. He moved to Kathmandu for his higher education and in 1963 enrolled in Tri-Chandra College.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 1988, Deuba, with the help of acting Nepali Congress president Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, got a scholarship through Socialist International and was sent to London to attend the London School of Economics where he was a research student studying political science.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In London he worked as a part-time translator for the BBC World Service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Political career

Beginnings (1963–1990)

He started his political career as the member of the Far Western Zonal Student Union in 1963. The organization was founded by students from Far-Western Development Region who were studying in Kathmandu at the time. While studying at Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus, he became a member of the Arjun Narasingha K.C. led Student Rally Coordination Committee along with Ram Chandra Poudel. He became a founding member of the Nepal Student Union in 1970. The next year, he became the president of the union, a position that he held for eight years.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref>

Deuba was arrested in connection with the Jaisidewal bomb plot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He served nine years in jail during the 1970s and 80s for his participation in pro-democracy activities.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref>

Multiparty era (1991–2002)

After the 1990 revolution, Deuba came back from London and was elected from Dadeldhura 1 at the 1991 election from Nepali Congress. He became Home Minister in Girija Prasad Koirala's cabinet.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />

He was reelected from Dadeldhura 1 at the 1994 election. Following the party losing their majority in the election, party president Girija did not stand for parliamentary party leader and Deuba was elected unopposed after rivals Ram Chandra Poudel and Shailaja Acharya withdrew their candidacy.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref>

First cabinet (1995–1997)

Template:Main article After the minority government of Manmohan Adhikari fell, Deuba was appointed as prime minister in 1995 with the support of Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nepal Sadbhawana Party. He came into controversy for having 52 cabinet members in his eighteen month long tenure a move that was criticized by party president Girija Prasad Koirala. His government was also accused of bribing MPs from minor parties and sending Rastriya Prajatantra Party MP's to Bangkok in order to avoid key votes in the parliament. His administration also introduced pensions, allowances and other privileges for legislators.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=":5">Template:Cite journal</ref>

Deuba's administration frequently solicited the advice of the opposition in major domestic and foreign policy issues. His cabinet signed the Mahakali treaty with India, which had been initiated by the previous CPN (UML) government, introduced a system of voter ID and ended dual ownership of land through consensus in the parliament. Contunuing with party policy, his administration favored economic liberalization that the Koirala government in 1991 had started. Value-added taxes were introduced during his tenure. Deuba completed state visits to India, China, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States during his tenure.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":4" /><ref name=":5" />

He resigned in March 1997 after two MPs from his party abstained from voting against a no-confidence motion. He also resigned as parliamentary party leader after losing support in the parliamentary group and was replaced by Girija Prasad Koirala.<ref name=":5" />

In the 1999 election, Deuba was reelected from Dadeldhura 1. After the resignation of Krishna Prasad Bhattarai as prime minister and parliamentary party leader, Deuba faced off against Girija Prasad Koirala at the party but lost.<ref name=":3" /> He also lost stood against Koirala at the party's tenth general convention in January 2001 for the past of party president but faced defeat again.<ref name=":7">Template:Cite web</ref>

Second cabinet (2001–2002)

Template:Main article After Koirala was forced to resign following the Holeri scandal in July 2001, Deuba defeated Sushil Koirala in the contest for parliamentary party leader and was appointed as prime minister for the second time.<ref name=":3" /> His government invited the Maoists for negotiations and agreed upon a cease-fire with them until the end of negotiations. The special Socio-Economic Reform Programs which covered land reforms, abolition of social discrimination, electoral reforms and women's property rights were brought in by his government as preemptive measures before negotiations with the Maoists.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Following a breakdown in negotiations, the Maoists resumed their attacks on the government and a state of emergency was declared for six months in February 2002 after a parliamentary vote.<ref name=":6">Template:Cite journal</ref>

The July 2002 local elections were also postponed following the escalation of violence. After Deuba failed to get a two-thirds majority to extend the state of emergency and dissent within his party on the government's handling of the Maoist issue, Deuba requested King Gyanendra to dissolve the parliament and called for new elections within the next six months.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":6" />

The Deuba government failed to hold new elections and asked for fourteen more months citing the growing Maoist insurgency. He was subsequently removed as prime minister by King Gyanendra in November 2002. Removing an elected prime minister was seen as a autocratic move from the king and was followed by wide spread protests.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Nepali Congress (Democratic) (2002–2007)

Deuba's move to extend the state of emergency and dissolving the House of Representatives was severely criticized by party chairman Girija Prasad Koirala. After Deuba was expelled from the Nepali Congress, his faction of the party called a general convention that deposed Koirala . Koirala declared this general convention illegal and was supported by two-thirds of the members of the committee. In September 2002, the Election Commission declared that Koirala's group was the official Nepali Congress following which Deuba split the party and formed Nepali Congress (Democratic).<ref name=":6" />

Sher Bahadur Deuba with Manmohan Singh in 2004

Third cabinet (2004–2005)

Template:Main article After months of protests from the major political parties, King Gyanendra agreed to let the parties nominate the next prime minister. When no consensus was reached among the parties, Deuba was reinstated as prime minister in June 2004.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

He remained as prime minister until 1 February 2005, when the king seized executive power and placed leading politicians including Deuba under house arrest. In July, Deuba was sentenced to two years in jail on corruption charges related to Melamchi Water Supply Project by the Royal Commission on Corruption Control set up by King Gyanendra. After the Supreme Court dismissed the commission for being unconstitutional, he was released from prison.<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

In September 2007, he re-united the Nepali Congress (Democratic) with the Nepali Congress.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Constituent Assembly (2008–2015)

He was elected from Dadeldhura 1 and Kanchanpur 4 at the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, the latter of which he vacated. Deuba was the candidate for Nepali Congress for prime minister but lost to CPN (Maoist) leader Pushpa Kamala Dahal, 464-113.<ref name=":42">"Ex-rebels' chief chosen as Nepal's new PM" Template:Webarchive, Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), 15 August 2008.</ref> He faced off against Ram Chandra Poudel for parliamentary party leader but lost.<ref name=":3" /> Deuba also unsuccessfully challenged acting president Sushil Koirala at the party's 12th general convention in September 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":7" />

He was reelected from Dadeldhura 1 at the 2013 Constituent Assembly election. He challenged party president Sushil Koirala for parliamentary party leader but lost.<ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Congress president (2016–present)

Deuba with his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, in 2017

At the party's 13th general convention, Deuba contested against Ram Chandra Poudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula for party president. Deuba fell 11 votes short of winning in the first round and was elected in the second round, defeating Poudel with 58% of the vote.<ref name=":7" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Fourth cabinet (2017–2018)

Template:Main article In August 2016, the party agreed on a deal with CPN (Maoist Centre) to run the government for nine months each until the next election. As per the agreement, Deuba was sworn in as prime minister for the fourth time on 7 June 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was elected from Dadeldhura 1 at the 2017 election but the left alliance of CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre) gained a majority in the House of Representatives. He resigned in February 2018 to make way for the new government.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the contest for parliamentary party leader he defeated Prakash Man Singh.<ref name=":3" />

PM Deuba with Boris Johnson in London in 2021 COP26

Fifth cabinet (2021–2022)

Template:Main article After KP Sharma Oli lost a no-confidence motion against him, Deuba was proposed as prime minister by the CPN (Maoist Centre) and some members of the opposition CPN (UML). President Bidhya Devi Bhandari denied this claim and reappointed Oli as prime minister who requested that the House of Representatives be dissolved and called for new elections.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This was met by a legal challenge in the Supreme Court which ruled in favor of restoring the lower house and appointing Deuba as prime minister in July 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Deuba was then appointed prime minister for the fifth time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

At the party's 14th general convention in December 2021, he faced a challenge from Shekhar Koirala, Prakash Man Singh, Bimalendra Nidhi and Kalyan Gurung. Deuba got 48% of the vote in the first round and faced Koirala in the second round. Deuba was re-elected as president defeating Shekhar Koirala with 60% of the vote after Singh and Nidhi supported him in the second round.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He was reelected from Dadeldhura 1 at the 2022 election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was also reelected as the parliamentary party leader, surviving a challenge from general secretary Gagan Thapa.<ref name=":3" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Deuba was replaced by Pushpa Kamal Dahal following the election.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Deuba is married to Arzu Rana Deuba and has a son Jaiveer Singh.<ref name=":0" /> In November 2016, Deuba was conferred an honorary doctorate degree by Jawaharlal Nehru University in India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests, Deuba and his wife were injured after their house was attacked and set on fire by protesters on 9 September and were rescued by Nepal Army and Armed Police Force.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Electoral performance

Election	House	Constituency	Party		Votes	Result
1991	House of Representatives	Dadeldhura 1	Template:Party name with color	24,570	Template:Tick Elected
1994			20,701
1999			28,651
2008	Constituent Assembly		20,529
		Kanchanpur 4	12,824	Template:Tick Vacated
2013		Dadeldhura 1	23,920	Template:Tick Elected
2017	House of Representatives		28,446
2022			25,534

See also

• Nepali Congress (Democratic)

External links

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