Gopal Man Shrestha, a senior leader of the Nepali Congress and a prominent figure in Nepal’s democratic transition, passed away on Tuesday at Helios Hospital in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur. He was 83 years old and had been receiving treatment for cancer.
Shrestha’s political career spanned over six decades, beginning with his involvement in student activism against Nepal’s partyless Panchayat system. He played a pivotal role in the restoration of multiparty democracy, the reunification of the Nepali Congress, and the establishment of Nepal as a federal democratic republic. Notably, Shrestha led the Nepali Congress during a crucial period in 2005 when party president Sher Bahadur Deuba was imprisoned by the Royal Commission for Corruption Control following King Gyanendra Shah’s takeover of executive power. During Deuba’s 10-month incarceration over corruption allegations linked to the Melamchi Water Supply Project, Shrestha maintained party unity and spearheaded its opposition to the monarchy’s direct rule.
On November 22, 2005, Shrestha was a signatory to a landmark 12-point agreement between the Nepali Congress, opposition parties, and Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda). This accord significantly contributed to the 2006 People’s Movement, which ended the decade-long Maoist insurgency and led to the abolition of Nepal’s 240-year-old monarchy.
Throughout his career, Shrestha navigated complex intra-party dynamics, including siding with Deuba during a 2002 split that led to the formation of the Nepali Congress (Democratic), where he served as vice-president. After the parties reunified in 2007, his stewardship during Deuba’s imprisonment was widely credited with preventing the breakaway faction from collapsing. In later years, however, Shrestha distanced himself from Deuba and aligned with reformist leaders Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma, supporting the party’s internal renewal.
In July 2024, Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa announced Shrestha’s designation as a senior party leader, pending formal approval by the Central Working Committee. Prem KC, a party secretary who visited Shrestha in hospital, recalled his joy upon learning of the nomination and his expressed hope for recovery to resume public political activities.
Shrestha’s political involvement included participation in every major democratic movement since 1960, such as the 1979 referendum campaign, the 1985 Satyagraha, the 1990 People’s Movement, and the 2005-06 pro-democracy uprising. He was first elected to Nepal’s House of Representatives in 1991 from Syangja, losing his seat in 1994 but regaining it in 1999. He later served in the reinstated House in 2006, the interim legislature, and the second Constituent Assembly elected in 2013. Though he lost parliamentary elections in 2017 and failed to secure a proportional representation seat in 2022, Shrestha held several ministerial posts during his career, including deputy prime minister and minister of education.
Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa described Shrestha’s death as an “irreparable loss” to the party and the nation, praising his dedication, experience, and integrity. Parliamentary party leader Bhishma Raj Angdembe also honored Shrestha’s lifelong commitment to democracy and his role in the peace process and the republic’s institutional development.
Shrestha is survived by two wives, three sons, and seven daughters.