The former prime minister and the founding leader of Nepali Congress, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, has passed away at the age of 87.  Battarai, popularly known as ‘Kishunji’ or ‘KP,’ passed away at 11.26 pm on Friday, March 4, 2011 at Norvic Hospital in Kathmandu. The doctors had previously informed that the condition of Bhattarai was not improving. According to the attending doctors, he died of multiple-organ failures.

After death, Bhattarai’s body was taken back to his home, Krishna Prasad Bhattarai Ashram in Badegaun.

Political Career

• Bhattarai started taking interest in politics at the age of 18.
• In the political movement of 1950 that overthrew Rana regime, he was in charge of armed group Congress Mukti Sena.
• In the first election of 1959, he was the Speaker of lower house of parliament.
• In May of 1970 he inaugurated the Nepal Student Union and started the active participation of students in politics.
• In 1977 he was selected the Acting President of Nepali Congress (NC). After the death of BP Koirala, he was again elected the Acting President of NC until he was elected the president of the party in 1992 and served the party as the president till 1996.
• In 1990, he became the Prime Minister of the Interim Government after the successful movement.
• Bhattarai became prime minister for the second time in 1999 for almost a year.

Journalist

Bhattarai started his career as a journalist.

• He is remembered as the first foreign journalists to interview the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the then USSR, Khrushchev.
• After the 1950 revolution, he was the editor of “Yugbani” and “Nepal Pukar” magazines, published from Banarashi, India.
• He was the first president of the Federation of Nepali Journalist (FNJ).

Always loosing election

Elections were never favorable to Bhattarai. He lost most of the election he was candidate of:

• BS 2015, defeated in Gorkha
• BS 2048, defeated in Kathmandu 1
• BS 2050, defeated in Kathmandu 1
• BS 2051, defeated in Kathmandu 1

The first (and
, the only one) election he won was the election of BS 2056 from Parsha -1.

Fun loving and Pan icon, umbrella and Surahi

Bhattarai was popular for making fun of stuffs. He used to make fun of himself and others but, in good faith. People used to enjoy his company due to the fun-loving nature.

He was addicted to Pan (betel leaf), the habit he started during his exile in India. His favorite ‘Pan Pasal’ in New Road, Kathmandu became popular due to the fact that it was Kisunji’s favorite destination.

As for the property, Kisunji used to say that the only thing he has his own were an umbrella and a waterpot “Surahi”. He didn’t have his own h
ouse. The house he was living in his last days was given to him by the government.

Good bye Kishunji!