Honourable
Bimalendra Nidhi
MP
विमलेन्द्र निधि
Vice-President of the Nepali Congress
In office
2017–2021
PresidentSher Bahadur Deuba
Preceded byRam Chandra Paudel
Succeeded byDhanraj Gurung
Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal
In office
4 August 2016[1] – 24 May 2017
Prime MinisterPushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded byBijay Kumar Gachhadar
Succeeded byBijay Kumar Gachhadar
Minister for Home Affairs
In office
4 August 2016[1] – 24 May 2017
Prime MinisterPushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded byShakti Bahadur Basnet
Succeeded byJanardan Sharma[2]
Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport[4]
In office
25 February 2014[3] – 12 October 2015
Prime MinisterSushil Koirala
Succeeded byBijay Kumar Gachhadar
Minister for Education and Sports
Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies
Minister for General Administration
In office
13 December 1995[5] – 11 March 1997
MonarchBirendra of Nepal
Prime MinisterSher Bahadur Deuba
Member of the Constituent Assembly / Legislature Parliament
In office
2008–2017
Preceded byAnanda Prasad Dhungana
ConstituencyDhanusha-3
General Secretary of Nepali Congress[6]
In office
2006–2010
PresidentGirija Prasad Koirala
Preceded byGirija Prasad Koirala
Succeeded byPrakash Man Singh
Krishna Prasad Sitaula
Member of the House of Representatives
Assumed office
22 December 2022[7]
Preceded byBinod Chaudhary
ConstituencyParty List
(Nepali Congress)
In office
1994–2002
Preceded byMahendra Narayan Nidhi
Succeeded bySanjay Sah
ConstituencyDhanusha-4
Personal details
Born (1956-09-25) 25 September 1956 (age 67)[8]
Janakpur, Dhanusa, Nepal
Nationality   Nepalese
Political partyNepali Congress
SpouseAnamika Upasak Nidhi
Children2 (Abiral Nidhi, Anukul Nidhi)
Parents
Residence(s)Nagarain, Janakpur, Nepal
EducationMasters in Political Science[9]
Alma materTribhuvan University

Bimalendra Nidhi (Maithili/Nepali/Devanagari: बिमलेन्द्र निधि listenⓘ) is a Nepali politician who serves as a member of the House of Representatives and a senior leader of Nepali Congress. He is the former Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal and Minister of Home Affairs of Nepal.[10] Nidhi has also served as the Vice-president and General secretary of Nepali Congress, for tenures of four consecutive years each.[11][12]

Personal life

Born to one of the founders of Nepali Congress Mahendra Narayan Nidhi and Prem Sagari Nidhi, Bimalendra Nidhi is the second son in the family.[13] Nidhi family are residents of Nagrain Municipality, Dhanusha.[14][15]

Political career

Nidhi meeting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi; August 2016.

Bimalendra Nidhi joined student politics at the age of 14, after witnessing the arrest of his father.[16][17] He is the former President of the Nepal Students Union(N.S.U), the student wing of Nepali Congress Party.[17] He was only 23 when he led the union at national level appointed and favored by BP Koirala during 1980 Nepalese governmental system referendum.[14]

He was elected vice-president of Nepali Congress Party on 4 May 2021.[18]

He is the former General Secretary of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Party, a faction of Nepali Congress Party before Janandolan II movement citing differences in opinion, later assuming the same post after the two parties merged after the movement, until 2009.[19]

He has served twice as the Minister for General Administration, once as the Minister for Education and Sports and simultaneously for a period of a month as Minister of Industries, Commerce and Supplies. He also served as the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport. He served as Deputy Prime-minister of Nepal in Puspa Kamal Dahal second cabinet with Home minister portfolio. He led 15 ministers from Nepali Congress in the Second Dahal cabinet as a part of power sharing.[20] He has also served as Acting prime-minister of Nepal.[21]

Former Deputy PM Nidhi with Minister Ram Saroj Yadav, MP Smriti Narayan Chaudhary, former Mayor of Janakpur Bajrang Shah and others in a program at his constituency

He was arrested time and again for his political views, most notably in the People's Movement of 1990 when he was in his early 30's and then in Janandolan II while he was in his 40s. He has spent seven years in prison in total.[14]

Nidhi was an elected twice as member to the Constituent Assembly from Dhanusha 3 of Dhanusha District.[22] He also served as member of House of Representatives from 1994 to 2008 as representative from Dhanusha 4.[23] Nidhi, a close confidant of prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba fielded candidacy for the post of party president leaving the camp in the 14th general convention of Nepali Congress.[24][25] He was able to gerner nearly 6% voters opening the way for second round of election as Deuba who obtained 48% votes was unable to cross 50% mark even after joining hands with leader Krishna Prasad Sitaula.[26][27] Later, Deuba asked Nidhi and Prakash Man Singh for their support and both leaders in absence of an alternative agreed to support Deuba.[28][29]

In 2022 Nepalese general election, he chose to stand as a candidate for the House of Representatives from Proportional Representation list. He was elected as a member of House of Representatives from PR list of Nepali Congress on 14 December 2022.

In February 2023, he was the focal person in the gifting of two Shaligram stones from the Government of Nepal to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra, the stones would be used for the construction of the child form of the Hindu God Rama to be established in the Ram Mandir, Ayodhya. [30]

Electoral history

1994 Legislative Election

Dhanusha-4

Party Candidate Votes
Nepali Congress Bimalendra Nidhi 21,340
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Krishna Pratap Malla 16,563
Result Congress gain
Source: Election Commission[31]

1999 Legislative Election

Dhanusha-4

Party Candidate Votes
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Krishna Pratap Malla 24,293
Nepali Congress Bimalendra Nidhi 19,053
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Ram Aashis Mahaseth 5,553
Others 2,914
Invalid Votes 747
Result RPP gain
Source: Election Commission[31][32]

2008 Constituent Assembly Election

Dhanusha-3

Party Candidate Votes Status
Nepali Congress Bimalendra Nidhi 15,582 Elected
CPN-UML Hari Dev Mandal 9,936 Lost

2013 Constituent Assembly Election

Dhanusha-3

Party Candidate Votes Status
Nepali Congress Bimalendra Nidhi 15,031 Elected
CPN-UML Julie Kumari Mahato 13,539 Lost

2017 House of Representatives Election

Dhanusha-3

Party Candidate Votes Status
Rastriya Janata Party Nepal Rajendra Mahato 30,750 Elected
Nepali Congress Bimalendra Nidhi 27,847 Lost
CPN (Maoist Centre) Ram Singh Yadav 2,346 Lost

Education

He earned his M.A in Political Science from Tribhuvan University.[33][31]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Nepal, Review. "Newly-appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Bimalendra Nidhi vows for sound security". Review Nepal News. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  2. ^ "Deuba sworn in as 40th PM, forms Cabinet by inducting 7 ministers". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  3. ^ "अन्ततः २१ सदस्यीय मन्त्रिमण्डल" [Finally 21 members cabinet]. BBC News नेपाली (in Nepali). 25 February 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  4. ^ "SC's stay order to correct 16-pt deal: Minister Nidhi". The Himalayan Times. 20 June 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Minister and State Ministers" (pdf) (in Nepali). Singhdurbar, Kathmandu, Nepal: Ministry of Information and Communication. 13 December 1995. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  6. ^ ".::::: Nepali Congress Party :::::". www.nepalicongress.org. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  7. ^ "Unfairness of parties in PR seats allocation". Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  8. ^ "Bimalendra Nidhi". Vimarshnews. Retrieved 14 March 2019.[permanent dead link]
  9. ^ a b "Bimalendra Nidhi". election2013.ujyaaloonline.com. Archived from the original on 15 January 2019. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Prachanda sworn in Nepal's new Prime Minister". The Hindu. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  11. ^ Das, Samir Kumar (2005). Peace processes and peace accords. SAGE. p. 289. ISBN 978-0-7619-3391-5.
  12. ^ "Nidhi appointed NC Vice-Prez, Khadka Gen Secy". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  13. ^ "Three NC scions meet again to discuss general convention". Setopati. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  14. ^ a b c Chaudhary, Randhir. "Will Nepali Congress make Bimalendra Nidhi its president?". My Republica. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  15. ^ Sen, Sandeep (3 December 2017). "Nidhi, Mahato brace for close contest in Dhanusha-3". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  16. ^ रातोपाटी. "काँग्रेसमा सभापतिको दौड : देउवालाई साथीका छोराको चुनौती". RatoPati (in Nepali). Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  17. ^ a b Top 5 questions with Bimalendra Nidhi | विमलेन्द्र निधिसँग ५ प्रश्नहरु | Fireside, retrieved 22 June 2021
  18. ^ "Nidhi appointed NC Vice-Prez, Khadka Gen Secy". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Nepali Congress Re-Unites". Deutsche Welle. 26 September 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda sworn in as new Nepal PM". Hindustan Times. 4 August 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  21. ^ "Rt. Honorable President Assigns Honorable Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs Mr Bimalendra Nidhi as Acting Prime Minister". Office of the President of Nepal. 15 October 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  22. ^ "Nepalnews.com - News from Nepal as it happens". 25 March 2015. Archived from the original on 25 March 2015. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Finalised Constituencies With Top Two Candidates". 24 January 2008. Archived from the original on 24 January 2008. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Nidhi to vie for top NC post". himalayantimes. 21 June 2021. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  25. ^ Republica. "NC Vice President Nidhi gets responsibility as the party's Acting President". My Republica. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  26. ^ "Congress delegates to vote again to choose party president". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  27. ^ Setopati, सेतोपाटी संवाददाता. "अन्तत: निधिले रोके देउवालाई". Setopati (in Hindi). Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  28. ^ "देउवालाई निधिको पनि समर्थन". देउवालाई निधिको पनि समर्थन. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  29. ^ Setopati, Setopati. "Nidhi also pledges to back Deuba in runoff for NC president". Setopati. Retrieved 14 December 2021.
  30. ^ "Nepal Gifts Shaligram Stones".
  31. ^ a b c "Finalised Constituencies With Top Two Candidates". 24 January 2008. Archived from the original on 24 January 2008. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  32. ^ "Election Results'99". nepalresearch.org. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  33. ^ Sen, Sandeep (3 December 2017). "Nidhi, Mahato brace for close contest in Dhanusha-3". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
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