Rajendra Kharel
Rajendra Kharel | |
|---|---|
| राजेन्द्र खरेल | |
 Kharel inaugurating a Meeting Hall named after him in Kavrepalanchok, 2021 | |
| Minister of Women, Children and Social Welfare | |
| In office 18 October 2001[1] – 24 May 2002[2] | |
| Monarch | King Birendra |
| Prime Minister | Sher Bahadur Deuba |
| Succeeded by | Gore Bahadur Khapangi |
| Minister of State for Education | |
| In office 30 June 1999[3] – 20 March 2000 | |
| Monarch | King Birendra |
| Prime Minister | Krishna Prasad Bhattarai |
| Minister | Yog Prasad Upadhaya |
| Succeeded by | Dilendra Prasad Badu |
| Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha | |
| In office 15 January 2007[4] – 18 January 2008 | |
| Prime Minister | Girija Prasad Koirala |
| Preceded by | himself |
| Succeeded by | Krishna Prasad Sapkota (as Member of the Constituent Assembly) |
| Constituency | Kavre 3 (abolished 2017)[5] |
| In office 31 May 1999 – 21 May 2002 | |
| Prime Minister | Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Girija Prasad Koirala, Sher Bahadur Deuba |
| Preceded by | Govinda Nath Upreti |
| Constituency | Kavre 3 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 23 July 1946 Kharelthok, Kavrepalanchok District, Nepal |
| Died | 21 June 2026 (aged 79) Baneshwor, Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Citizenship | Nepali |
| Party | Nepali Congress (before 2002; 2007–2026) |
Other political affiliations | Nepali Congress (Democratic) (2002–2007)[4][6] |
| Children | Mahesh Kharel |
| Parents |
|
Rajendra Kharel (Nepali: राजेन्द्र खरेल; 23 July 1946 – 21 June 2026) was a Nepali politician and long-time member of the Nepali Congress.[7] He was elected to the Pratinidhi Sabha in the 1999 Nepalese legislative election[8] and served as Minister of State for Education[3] under Prime Minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai from 30 June 1999 to 20 March 2000, and subsequently as Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare in the Second Deuba cabinet under Sher Bahadur Deuba.[1]
Early life and activism
[edit]Kharel began community and civic activities in his early teens in Baneshwor, Kathmandu, including helping establish the Four Leaf (Charpat) Club, an educational and public-health initiative. He later joined the Yuwa Parichaya Goshthi (Youth Introduction Seminar), organized by Daman Nath Dhungana to promote democratic awareness during the Panchayat period. He also helped found the Ratna Library and was involved in local civic organizing in Baneshwor. Before the founding of the Nepal Student Union, he served as general secretary of an independent democratic student organization at National College (now Shanker Dev Campus), where economist Bishwambhar Pyakuryal was president.[9]
Political career
[edit]Kharel was active in Nepal's pro-democracy movement from the Panchayat era onward and was associated with senior Nepali Congress figures, including B. P. Koirala, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, and Ganesh Man Singh.[10][11][12], He was arrested multiple times for participating in pro-democracy activities and was active during the 1980 national referendum, the 1985–86 civil disobedience campaign, the 1990 People's Movement, and the 2006 People's Movement. After the success of the 1990 movement, he helped organize the victory gathering at Khula Manch in Kathmandu.
Kharel was among Bhattarai's closest political associates[13][9], and the Nepali Congress central office reportedly operated from Kharel's Baneshwor residence during Bhattarai's tenure as party president. Kharel later aligned with the Nepali Congress (Democratic) faction led by Sher Bahadur Deuba following the party's early-2000s split.[6][9]
Parliamentary and ministerial career
[edit]Kharel contested parliamentary elections from Kavrepalanchok constituencies in 1991, 1994, 1999, and the 2008 Constituent Assembly election, winning only in 1999. As MP for Kavrepalanchok-3, elected in the 1999 legislative election, he was appointed Minister of State for Education in the Krishna Prasad Bhattarai cabinet on 30 June 1999, serving until the cabinet's dissolution on 20 March 2000.[3] He later served as Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare (18 October 2001 – 24 May 2002) under Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba.[1][14] He also served in the interim Pratinidhi Sabha from January 2007 to January 2008.
Death
[edit]Kharel died on 21 June 2026 at around 9:45 p.m. while undergoing treatment at Frontline Hospital in Baneshwor, Kathmandu. He was 80. Kharel had been receiving treatment for complications related to asthma. His death was announced by his son, Mahesh Kharel, the mayor of Panchkhal Municipality.[15][16]
Electoral history
[edit]1991 Pratinidhi Sabha Election Kavre - 4
[17]
(constituency abolished 2017)[5]
| ‡ | The available election source reports vote totals only for the two leading candidates. The remaining candidates - Bela Prasad Shrestha (Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Thapa)), Pitambar Upadhyaya (Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Chand)), Dhan B. Lama (Rastriya Janamorcha), Bhakti Nath Luitel (Janata Dal), and Basanta Kharel (Communist Party)—collectively received 6,167 votes (17.43% of valid votes), but their individual vote totals were not published. |
|---|
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Govinda Nath Upreti | CPN (UML) | 20,808 | 58.82 | |
| Rajendra Kharel | Nepali Congress] | 8,401 | 23.75 | |
| Others ‡ | 6,167 | 17.43 | ||
| Total | 35,376 | 100.00 | ||
| Majority | 12,407 | |||
| CPN (UML) gain | ||||
1994 Pratinidhi Sabha Election Kavre - 3[18]
(constituency abolished 2017)[5]
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Govinda Nath Upreti | CPN (UML) | 16,566 | 53.26 | |
| Rajendra Kharel | Nepali Congress | 14,538 | 46.74 | |
| Total | 31,104 | 100.00 | ||
| Majority | 2,028 | |||
| CPN (UML) gain | ||||
1999 Pratinidhi Sabha Election Kavre - 3
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajendra Kharel | Nepali Congress | 18,925 | 34.28 | |
| Bidur Prasad Sapkota | CPN (UML) | 18,404 | 33.34 | |
| Govinda Nath Upreti | CPN (ML) | 11,609 | 21.03 | |
| Gopal Sedhai | Rastriya Prajatantra Party | 5,332 | 9.66 | |
| Bir Bahadur Yonjan | Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Chand) | 466 | 0.84 | |
| Hasta Bahadur Tamang | N.J. Party Rastriya Sambriddibad | 349 | 0.63 | |
| Rama Thakuri | Rastriya Janata Parishad | 59 | 0.11 | |
| Buddha Kaji Manandhar | Nepal Workers and Peasants Party | 57 | 0.10 | |
| Total | 55,201 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 55,201 | 96.85 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 1,795 | 3.15 | ||
| Total votes | 56,996 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 86,221 | 66.10 | ||
| Majority | 521 | |||
| Nepali Congress gain | ||||
| Source: [19][18][20] | ||||
2008 Constituent Assembly Election Kavre - 4
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tej Bahadur Mijar | Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) | 22,076 | 41.53 | |
| Bidur Prasad Sapkota | CPN (UML) | 16,549 | 31.13 | |
| Rajendra Kharel | Nepali Congress | 8,418 | 15.84 | |
| Govinda Nath Upreti | Independent | 2,217 | 4.17 | |
| Ashwini Kumar Debaju | Janamorcha Nepal | 1,104 | 2.08 | |
| Dr. Bharat Prasad Lamichhane | Communist Party of Nepal (Unified) | 682 | 1.28 | |
| Shambhu Bahadur Bajagain | Rastriya Prajatantra Party | 607 | 1.14 | |
| Chandra Lal Tusuju Shrestha | Nepal Workers Peasants Party | 369 | 0.69 | |
| Bhupendra Dhungana | Nepali Janata Dal | 330 | 0.62 | |
| Mahendra Jung Tamang | Tamsaling Nepal Rastriya Dal | 323 | 0.61 | |
| Krishnabir Lama | Rastriya Janshakti Party | 184 | 0.35 | |
| Bir Bahadur Yonjan | Rastriya Prajatantra Party Nepal | 109 | 0.21 | |
| Harkajit Lama (Tamang) | Independent | 94 | 0.18 | |
| Madhav Thapaliya | Independent | 79 | 0.15 | |
| Laxmi Maya Baidhya | Nepal Samata Party | 18 | 0.03 | |
| Total | 53,159 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 53,159 | 95.78 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 2,342 | 4.22 | ||
| Total votes | 55,501 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 86,502 | 64.16 | ||
| Majority | 5,527 | |||
| Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) gain | ||||
| Source: [21][22] | ||||
Comparative table of elections
[edit]| Elections | Parliament of Nepal | Constituency | Political party | Result | Vote percentage | Opposition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Political party | Vote percentage | ||||||||||
| 1991 | 2nd | Kavrepalanchok 4 | NC |  | Lost | 23.75% 8,401 | Govinda Nath Upreti | CPN(UML) |  | 58.82% 20,808 | ||
| 1994 | 3rd | Kavrepalanchok 3 | NC | | Lost | 46.74% 14,538 | Govinda Nath Upreti | CPN(UML) | | 53.26% 16,566 | ||
| 1999 | 4th | Kavrepalanchok 3 | NC | | Won | 34.28% 18,925 | Bidur Prasad Sapkota | CPN(UML) | | 33.34% 18,404 | ||
| 2008 | 1st CA | Kavrepalanchok 4 | NC | | Lost | 17.89% 8,418 | Tej Bahadur Mijar | UCPN (Maoist) |  | 46.93% 22,076 | ||
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "राजदरबारको सूचना" [Notice from the Royal Palace]. Nepal Gazette (in Nepali). Vol. 51, no. 28(Ka). 18 October 2001. p. 2.
- ↑ "समाजकल्याण मन्त्रालयको कार्यभार शेरबहादूर देउवाले सम्हाल्नू भएको" [Sher Bahadur Deuba to take responsibility of Ministry of Social Welfare]. Nepal Gazette (in Nepali). Vol. 52, no. 16. 24 May 2002.
- 1 2 3 "49; 15(Kha + 1)". प्रधानमन्त्रीको सिफारीशमा हेरफेर थप र कार्य बिभाजन गरेको [Reshuffle and portfolio assignment on the recommendation of the prime minister] (Report) (in Nepali). Vol. 4. Nepal Gazette. 30 June 1999. p. 2.
- 1 2 व्यवस्थापिका–संसद (२०६३ – २०६४) [Legislature-Parliament (2063 – 2064)] (PDF). Nepal Federal Parliament Secretariat. 13 July 2020. p. 40.
- 1 2 3 "CDC submits its report with 165 electoral constituencies".
- 1 2 "MPs call for inclusive state, communal harmony". The Rising Nepal. 11 January 2007. Archived from the original on 28 September 2007.
- ↑ Dahal, Purushottam (12 January 2025). "Incomplete Sketch That Led To A Political Journey-7". Himalaya Times. Archived from the original on 7 February 2025.
- ↑ House of Representatives Election Results - Finalised Constituencies With Top Two Candidates at the Wayback Machine (archived 2006-10-12)
- 1 2 3 Neupane, Kul Chandra (1 July 2026). "Obituary: Rajendra Kharel was the trusted charioteer of saint leader Bhattarai". eKantipur. Archived from the original on 2 July 2026.
- ↑ "Kharel and Bade felicitated with 'Ganesh Man Foundation Prajatantra Senani title'". Khabarhub. 9 July 2020. Archived from the original on 13 December 2020.
- ↑ "खरेल र बादे प्रजातन्त्र सेनानीबाट सम्मानित" [Kharel and Bade honored as Democracy Fighters]. Onlinekhabar (in Nepali). 9 July 2020. Archived from the original on 23 June 2026.
- ↑ Wagle, Ramesh (22 June 2026). "शासक हुन् वा नेता, कोहीसँग नझुकेका प्रजातन्त्रवादी राजेन्द्र खरेल" [Ruler or Leader, Rajendra Kharel, a Democrat who does not bow to anyone]. Baahrakhari (in Nepali). Archived from the original on 23 June 2026.
- ↑ "Yes, Prime Minister". Nepali Times. No. 6. 23 August 2000. Archived from the original on 23 June 2026.
- ↑ "Report on Trafficking and sex workers launched". The Himalayan Times (in Nepali). 2 April 2002. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021.
- ↑ "Former Minister and Senior Nepali Congress Leader Rajendra Kharel Passes Away at 80". RatoPati. 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "Former Minister Kharel passes away". Rising Nepal Daily. 22 June 2026.
- ↑ "1991 Election - Constituency wise Results" (PDF). nepalresearch.org. p. 11. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2011.
- 1 2 Election Commission of Nepal, Finalised Constituencies With Top Two Candidates Archived March 5, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Retrieved Sep 18, 2013
- ↑ "PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION 1999 (2056 BS) - KAVREPALANCHOK – 3". www.nepalresearch.com. Retrieved 21 March 2001.
- ↑ Election Results' 2056 (1999)
- ↑ "Over 9,000 FPTP votes invalid in Kavre district". The Himalayan Times. 16 April 2008.
- ↑ "2008 CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY ELECTION RESULTS - KAVREPALANCHOK – 4". www.nepalarchives.com. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
