Pushpa Kamal Dahal

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, widely known as Prachanda ("The Fierce One"), is the coordinator of Nepal Communist Party and a three-time Prime Minister. He led the Maoist insurgency from 1996-2006 that fundamentally transformed Nepal's political landscape. Born in Dhikur Pokhari, Kaski, Dahal became involved in communist politics in the 1970s. He became chairman of CPN (Maoist) in 1989 and launched the People's War in 1996. The decade-long insurgency ended with the 2006 peace accord, after which Maoists entered mainstream politics. Dahal served as Prime Minister in 2008-2009, 2016-2017, and 2022-2024. His transition from revolutionary leader to democratic politician remains one of Nepal's most significant political transformations.