Guide Note

Revolutionary leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, commonly known as Prachanda, heads the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and is the nation's first Prime Minister under its new Republican government.¹ He is a long-standing opponent of the Nepalese monarchy.

Fast Facts

1. Also known as: Prachanda
2. Prachanda means "Fierce One"²
3. Born: December 11, 1954 in Kaski, Nepal
4. Political party: Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M)
5. His philosophy specifically adapted for Nepal is known as the Prachanda Path
6. Strongly opposed the Nepalese monarchy
7. Led rebel army in the Nepalese Civil War against King Gyanendra
8. Active participant in the 2008 Nepalese Elections

Prachanda led the People's Liberation Army, which instigated the Nepalese Civil War. It lasted from 1996 to 2006, and cost nearly 13,000 lives³, which has made Prachanda a controversial figure in the 2008 elections.

The 2008 Nepalese Elections posed an opportunity for Prachanda's Maoist followers to influence the drafting of the new Nepalese Constitution. Consequently, he encouraged party members to keep the peace in the days leading up to the elections.⁴