Bidya Devi Bhandari

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Lore & Background

Bidya Devi Bhandari was born on 19 June 1961 in Mane Bhanjyang, Bhojpur, to Ram Bahadur Pandey and Mithila Pandey. She completed her school education in Bhojpur and pursued higher education in Biratnagar. Her political career began with membership in a leftist student union, and she joined the Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) in 1980. She was active in politics from an early age, serving as an in-charge for the Eastern Zone Committee of ANNFSU from 1979 to 1987 and later as chairperson of the women's wing of GEFONT from 1993 until becoming a central committee member of the CPN (UML) in 1997. Bhandari was first elected to parliament in a by-election in January 1994, caused by the death of her husband, the sitting member from Kathmandu–1, where she defeated former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. She served as Minister for Environment and Population in 1997 and as Minister of Defence from 2009 to 2011, the first woman to hold that office. After the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015, she was elected president on 28 October 2015, defeating Nepali Congress' Kul Bahadur Gurung. She was re-elected in 2018, defeating Congress' Kumari Laxmi Rai. Bhandari renewed her membership in the CPN–UML and re-entered active politics in July 2025.

Reader's Guide

Bidya Devi Bhandari's significance lies in her role as Nepal's first female president and first female minister of defence, marking milestones for women in Nepali politics. Her tenure from 2015 to 2023 was marked by both achievements and controversies. She was an active campaigner for environmental awareness and women's rights, and in 2016 Forbes placed her at number 52 on its list of the world's 100 most powerful women. However, her presidency was also characterized by accusations of partisan stances, including decisions to dissolve the House of Representatives and delays in appointing a prime minister, which were later ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court. Her legacy is thus a mix of pioneering firsts and contentious political actions that continue to shape discussions on executive power and constitutional norms in Nepal.

Did You Know?

• Bhandari was first elected to parliament in a January 1994 by-election caused by the death of her husband, the sitting member from Kathmandu–1, and she defeated former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.
• She served as Minister of Defence from 2009 to 2011, the first woman to hold that office in Nepal.
• In 2016, Forbes placed her at number 52 on its list of the world's 100 most powerful women.
• On 12 July 2021, the Supreme Court declared her decision to dissolve parliament unlawful and ordered her to appoint Sher Bahadur Deuba as prime minister within 28 hours.
• During the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests, her house in Bhangal, Kathmandu was burned down by a mob of protesters.

Early Life and Political Awakening

Bidya Devi Bhandari entered the world on 19 June 1961 in the small town of Mane Bhanjyang, Bhojpur, the daughter of Ram Bahadur Pandey and Mithila Pandey. She completed her schooling locally before moving to Biratnagar in Morang district for higher studies. It was during her university years at Mahendra Morang Adarsha Multiple Campus that her political identity began to crystallize; she was elected treasurer of the students' union, a role that sharpened her organizational instincts. By 1993, she had risen to chair the women's wing of GEFONT, a position that cemented her reputation as a leader committed to gender equity within the broader leftist movement. These formative years in eastern Nepal laid the groundwork for a career that would eventually carry her to the highest office in the nation.

A Decade of Parliamentary and Ministerial Service

Bhandari's path to national prominence was neither linear nor without setbacks. She first entered parliament in a January 1994 by-election from Kathmandu–1, filling the seat vacated by her husband's death, and defeated former prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. The 1994 general election saw her win Kathmandu–2 against house speaker Daman Nath Dhungana, and by 1997 she held the Environment and Population portfolio in Lokendra Bahadur Chand's coalition cabinet. After re-election in 1999, she lost the 2008 Constituent Assembly poll but was nominated through the proportional system, a route that led to the Defence Ministry in 2009. There she became the first woman to hold that post under Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, serving until 2011. She returned via proportional representation in 2013 and solidified her party standing by being elected vice-chairperson of the CPN (UML) at its eighth convention in Butwal, a role she retained at the next convention. Regarded as a close confidante of party chairman KP Sharma Oli, she carried that weight into the 2015 presidential contest, defeating Nepali Congress's Kul Bahadur Gurung 327 to 214 and becoming Nepal's first female head of state. She secured a second term in 2018, defeating Kumari Laxmi Rai.

Constitutional Crises and Partisan Accusations

During her presidency, Bhandari faced sustained criticism for what opponents described as overtly partisan conduct. After the 2017 legislative elections, she was accused of delaying government formation by holding onto the National Assembly election ordinance. She also withheld the National Assembly nominations submitted by the outgoing Deuba government while promptly approving those sent by incoming Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Tensions escalated when she signed a citizenship ordinance tabled by the Oli cabinet, a move the Supreme Court later ruled required parliamentary debate. In a separate episode, she vetoed a citizenship bill that the Deuba cabinet had passed by majority. The most severe crisis came when she approved the dissolution of the House of Representatives and refused to appoint Sher Bahadur Deuba as prime minister despite a majority of 146 MPs presenting their signatures, instead backing Oli. On 12 July 2021, the Supreme Court declared the dissolution unlawful and ordered Deuba's appointment within 28 hours under Article 76(5). The following day, Bhandari issued the appointment, initially without citing any constitutional article, before amending the letter to reference Article 76(5), marking Deuba's fifth term. Critics also raised concerns about her use of luxury vehicles for official duties.

Advocacy, Recognition, and Life Beyond the Office

Beyond her constitutional role, Bhandari has been a persistent voice for environmental stewardship and women's empowerment in Nepal. Before her presidency, she chaired the All Nepal Women's Association, and her earlier tenure as Environment and Population minister in 1997 reflected a long-standing commitment to ecological issues. In June 2017, she traveled to the International Union for Conservation of Nature headquarters in Gland, Switzerland, where she met director general Inger Andersen to explore deeper collaboration on nature conservation and sustainable development. Her international profile was further elevated in 2016 when Forbes ranked her 52nd on its list of the world's 100 most powerful women. On a personal level, Bhandari was married to Madan Bhandari, a prominent communist leader who perished in a car accident near Dasdhunga, Chitwan, in 1993. The couple raised two daughters, Usha Kiran and Nisha Kusum Bhandari. She is also connected by family ties to Nepali Congress leader Gyanendra Bahadur Karki. After completing her presidential terms, Bhandari renewed her CPN–UML membership and re-entered active politics in July 2025, signaling that her engagement with Nepal's political landscape remains ongoing.