Who is Khum Bahadur Khadka?

KATHMANDU, Aug 15: Despite a tainted image outside the party for corruption scandals, his friendly nature with party workers along with a history of struggles through the difficult periods of the party-less Panchayat system has kept him popular in the party.



He secured the third highest number of votes during the 12th general convention in September, 2010 to be elected Central Working Committee member.[break]



Khum Bahadur Khadka lived an exiled life in India with founding leader of the Nepali Congress (NC) BP Koirala. Ever since his return from India with Koirala as part of National Reconciliation Policy of NC back in 1976, Khadka always hogged the limelight in the national politics. He has continuously held the position of CWC member in the party ever since.



Elected from Dang in all the three parliamentary elections held after the restoration of democracy in 1990, Khadka has held ministerial portfolios for 12 times. He held various “lucrative” ministries as he was a close confidant of then party President Girija Prasad Koirala.



When Khadka did not get a “lucrative” ministry in the cabinet led by Koirala, he moved to the Deuba camp in 1999. Khadka was the brain behind the no-confidence motion tabled against the fourth cabinet led by Koirala. He was also instrumental in holding the gathering of dissenting NC leaders in New Baneshwar and splitting the party.



Appointed as general secretary of the newly-formed NC (Democratic), Khadka had resigned the post after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) sent him to jail on corruption charge. The anti-graft body on October 30, 2002 had detained him on the charge of amassing huge amount of money from various projects including from Bakraha River Control Project.



CIAA had filed a case against him seeking six years prison term for misappropriating Rs 40.59 million by awarding the Bakraha River Control Project worth Rs 114.78 million without competitive bidding.



CIAA had concluded that only Rs 3.9 million of the total property worth Rs 27.59 million he owned was earned through legitimate means. Khadka was released after depositing a bail amount of Rs 30 million on January 3, 2003.



Ministerial portfolios held by Khadka

Physical Planning and Transport-----1991
Local Development-----1996
Home Affairs-----1997
Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation-----1998 (resigned three days later citing health problem)
Supply-----1998
Local Development, Physical Planning-----1999
Physical Planning and Transport----1999
Water Resource, Physical Planning------2000
Physical Planning-----2001
Home, Local Development-----2001
Home, Local Development-----2001

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