Surya Bahadur Thapa

Surya Bahadur Thapa
सूर्य बहादुर थापा
Surya Bahadur Thapa at his residence in 2014.
24th Prime Minister of Nepal
In office
June 5, 2003 – June 4, 2004
MonarchKing Gyanendra
Preceded byLokendra Bahadur Chand
Succeeded bySher Bahadur Deuba
In office
October 7, 1997 – April 15, 1998
MonarchKing Birendra
Preceded byLokendra Bahadur Chand
Succeeded byGirija Prasad Koirala
In office
May 30, 1979 – July 12, 1983
MonarchKing Birendra
Preceded byKirti Nidhi Bista
Succeeded byLokendra Bahadur Chand
In office
January 26, 1965 – April 7, 1969
MonarchKing Mahendra
Preceded byTulsi Giri
Succeeded byKirti Nidhi Bista
In office
December 23, 1963 – February 26, 1964
MonarchKing Mahendra
Preceded byTulsi Giri
Succeeded byTulsi Giri
In office
11 April 1955 – 14 April 1955
MonarchKing Tribhuvan
Preceded byMatrika Prasad Koirala
Succeeded byMahendra Bir Bikram Shah
3rd Speaker of the Pratinidhi Sabha
In office
1962–1963
MonarchKing Birendra
Preceded byBal Chandra Sharma
Succeeded byBishwa Bandhu Thapa
Personal details
Born(1928-03-21)21 March 1928[1]
Muga village, Dhankuta, Nepal
Died15 April 2015(2015-04-15) (aged 87)
Delhi, India
Political partyRastriya Prajatantra Party and Rastriya Janashakti Party
Alma materEwing Christian College, Allahabad University

Surya Bahadur Thapa (Nepali: सूर्य बहादुर थापा; March 21, 1928 – April 15, 2015) was a Nepali politician and a five-time Prime Minister of Nepal. He served under three different kings in a political career lasting more than 50 years.

Thapa was selected as a member of advisory council in 1958 and was elected as the chairperson. Later he was appointed to the Upper house in 1959 and appointed chair of the Council of Ministers from 1963 to 1964. He went on to serve four further terms: 1965–69, 1979–83, 1997–98, and again in 2003 before leaving Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) in November 2004.[2]

Surya Thapa was the first prime minister under the Panchayat System of Nepal. In his later years, he was a leader of RPP. He died on 15 April 2015 from respiratory failure while undergoing surgery.

  1. ^ "Welcome to Frontline : Vol. 29 :: No. 16". Hinduonnet.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2012-08-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ Pokhrel, Rajan; Koirala, Keshav (April 16, 2015). "Five-time PM Surya Bahadur Thapa passes away". Retrieved April 16, 2015.