Arjun Narasingha K.C. (Nepali: अर्जुन नरसिंह केसी) (born 27 September 1947), also known as ANKC, is a Nepalipolitician and former professor, currently serving as a Member of Parliament (MP) from Nuwakot representing the Nepali Congress Party.[2] KC has served as minister five times in different coalition governments holding Education, Health, Housing & Physical Planning and Urban Development portfolios.[3] He most recently served as the Minister of Urban Development in the Second Dahal Cabinet from 2016 to 2017.[4] KC has been elected to the national legislature a total of four times from his constituency of Nuwakot.
He has served in the capacity of Joint General Secretary of the Nepali Congress (NC) and the spokesperson of the party.[5]
In the 14th General Convention of the Nepali Congress, KC put forward his candidacy for the Central Committee citing the need for youth leadership in the party. He is now a Senior Leader in the Central Executive Committee advocating for anti-corruption laws, transparency and accountability in the parliament and within the party.[6]
Early life and education
Arjun Narasingha KC was born on 27 September 1950 to Bhagwan Narasingha K.C and Yasoda Devi KC in Rautbesi, Nuwakot.
In addition, he completed a fellowship at Tufts University, Fletcher School of Diplomacy, Boston, USA in International Relations and Foreign Policy decision making in 1982.
Political career
Early Political Career
KC first entered the political arena being elected as the General Secretary of Shanti Vidya Griha High School from 1961-63.[9] He then served subsequently as the Vice Chairperson and Chairperson of National (currently known as Shanker Dev Campus) from 1964-1967. He is a founding member and coordinator of the Nepal Student Union.
KC in his early years in politics
In 1973, he was elected as the Central Member of the Democratic Socialist Youth League convened by the NC in Varanasi.[9]
At the instructions of the senior Congress leadership, KC ran and won a seat in the 1981 Rastriya Panchayat Election, contesting as an independent.[10]
KC giving a speech during his youth days in Nuwakot.
KC first served as the State Minister for Health under Surya Bahadur Thapa from 1982 to 1983 and then as the Minister for Health, Education and Physical Planning from 1995 to 1999.[11][12] KC was elected as a member of parliament twice in the 1991 and 1994 parliamentary elections.[8][13]
Minister of Health and Population (1995 - 1997)
In 1996, KC played a critical role in the overhaul of the Nepali healthcare system aimed at getting the surplus of doctors in urban areas to move out into the understaffed hill and terai regions.[14] He introduced strong incentives, more rapid promotion, and increased allowances and training opportunities for those working in underserved regions of Nepal. In addition, stricter enforcement of promotion criteria, and limitation of "kaaj"-the oft-used loophole by which a doctor posted to the hills could arrange a return to the city on a temporary but indefinite transfer. The new legislation restricted this practice to one month per year.
In 1999, KC was nominated as the Chief of the International Relation Department of the Nepali Congress party. On September 25, 2000, KC was appointed as the spokesperson of the Nepali Congress by then party president Girija Prasad Koirala.[15]
Role during the 2006 Revolution
On 16 February, 2005, Nepali Police arrested KC at the party office in Sanepa for the first time since the king clamped a state of emergency and banned protests, detained key party leaders and suspended fundamental rights.[16]
Ex-King Gyanendra arrested prominent leaders such as KC during the 2006 People's Movement
KC spent three months in jail before being released and he was arrested again a week after while attending a party meeting in Banke, Nepal.[17]
KC was appointed as the Joint-General Secretary by GP Koirala after the 11th General Convention of the Nepali Congress, which was held in Kathmandu on August 2005.[18]
On September 21, 2010, KC was elected for the third time as the Central Committee member in the 12th General Convention of the Nepali Congress, securing the second highest votes - 2,034 out of 3,087 votes cast.
KC in a central party meeting with other senior leaders.
The first constituent assembly was dissolved due to its failure to promulgate the constitution in time.[19] The second constituent assembly elections were held on November 19, 2013. Once again, KC placed his candidacy from Nuwakot 1 and was elected with a margin of over 8,000 votes against UCPN (Maoist) candidate Bimala Subedi.[20]
Minister of Urban Development (2016 - 2017)
During his stint at the Ministry of Urban Development, KC played a strong fole in promoting sustainable development goals while formulating the fiscal program for the upcoming year. On April 23, 2017, KC instituted the People’s Housing Program with the goal of providing 25,000 homes to the disadvantaged communities outside the valley.[21]
In addition, on April 26, 2017, KC gave the final nod to begin the construction of the outer ring road in Kathmandu to make urbanization more systematic. The proposed 71.93 km road was shelved for over 13 years due to political infighting and corruption. The first phase of the construction of the outer ring road will commence along 6.6 km Chobhar-Gamcha-Satungal stretch from the forthcoming fiscal and cover approximately 8,000 ropanis of land area belonging to over 14,000 landowners. Of the total length of the ring road, Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur will have a coverage of 35.08 km, 15.80 km and 21.05 km respectively.[22]
Current Activities
He lost in the 2017 elections to CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) common candidate Narayan Khatiwada.[23]
In the 14th General Convention, KC played a leading role forming the Koirala-KC-Thapa camp in preparation for the party elections.[24]
KC was once again elected to the Central Working Committee with 2,650 votes, during the 14th General Convention.[25]
On January 28, 2022, KC was nominated to the Central Executive Committee, consisting of the top leadership of the Central Congress Party, by party president Sher Bahadur Deuba.[26]
On February 17, KC released a book 'Brief History of the Nepali Congress' at the official residence of the Prime Minister in Baluwatar. PM Deuba launched the book and expressed the view that all the citizens should read the book written by KC, saying the book would be a guideline to anyone who wanted to know about the party's history.[27]
KC has five children including four daughters and one son. His second oldest daughter, Anjana KC Thapa, married popular youth leader and former Health Minister Gagan Thapa.[32]
His younger brother, Jagadiswar Narsingh KC, served in both the first and second Constituent Assembly and was elected three times as the President of Nepali Congress Nuwakot.[33]
In addition, Dr. Kedar Narsingh KC, his brother, previously served as the President of the Nepal Medical Council and the Director of the Tuberculosis Center in Thimi, Nepal. He is the Former President of the Society for Democratic Thinking, a think tank based in Kathmandu.[34][35]
