Minendra Rijal (Nepali: मिनेन्द्र रिजाल) is a Nepali politician and former Defence Minister of Nepal. He is also member of the House of Representatives.

Minendra Rijal
मिनेन्द्र रिजाल
Defence Minister of Nepal
In office
8 October 2021 – 16 December 2021[1]
PresidentBidhya Devi Bhandari
Prime MinisterSher Bahadur Deuba
Preceded byIshwor Pokhrel
Succeeded bySher Bahadur Deuba
Minister of Information and Communications
In office
25 February 2014 – 12 October 2015
PresidentRam Baran Yadav
Prime MinisterSushil Koirala
Succeeded bySher Dhan Rai
Minister for Constituent Assembly, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture
In office
25 May 2009 – 6 February 2011
PresidentRam Baran Yadav
Prime MinisterMadhav Kumar Nepal
Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha
Assumed office
4 March 2018
Preceded byChandi Prasad Rai
ConstituencyMorang 2
Member of Constituent Assembly for
Nepali Congress party list
In office
21 January 2014 – 14 October 2017
Personal details
Born (1957-10-01) 1 October 1957 (age 66)[2]
Dharan, Sunsari
Political partyNepali Congress
SpouseDurga Rijal
Alma materNew York University

Political career edit

He is a former member of Nepali Congress party Central Working Committee.[3] He served as Minister of Information and Communications during the prime minister-ship of the Sushil Koirala.

Recently, Rijal resigned as Defence minister after he was unable to win internal election of party for general secretary.[4]

He was elected to parliament from Morang-2 in the 2017 elections. Morang-2 is the constituency from where Late PM Girija Prasad Koirala used to contest the election.[5][6]

He was also one of the architects of the mixed electoral system that ensured better social and gender diversity in the Constituent Assembly.[3]

Electoral history edit

2017 legislative elections edit

Morang 2
Party Candidate Votes
Nepali Congress Minendra Prasad Rijal 35,819
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Rishikesh Pokharel 34,014
Federal Socialist Forum, Nepal Yuvraj Karki 2,595
Rastriya Janata Party Nepal Mahendra Lal Das Kevrat 2,082
Others 1,279
Invalid votes 4,460
Result Congress gain
Source: Election Commission

References edit

  1. ^ "Defence Minister Rijal to resign amid apparent loss in NC's general secy".
  2. ^ संघीय संसद सदस्य, २०७४ परिचयात्मक पुस्तिका [Federal Parliament Members 2017 Introduction Booklet] (PDF) (in Nepali). Nepal: Federal Parliament Secretariat. 2021. p. 270.
  3. ^ a b "MINENDRA RIJAL". www.c-r.org. CONCILIATION RESOURCES. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  4. ^ Ratopati. "Defence Minister Rijal to resign amid apparent loss in NC's general secy". Ratopati. Retrieved 2021-12-16.
  5. ^ "18 Ministers sworn-in, Cabinet meeting held". My Republica. 25 February 2014. Archived from the original on 20 July 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.
  6. ^ "The Brief » Blog Archive » Meet the new cabinet of Ministers". Nepali Times. 25 February 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2014.