Bam Dev Gautam

Honourable
Bamdev Gautam
बाम देव गौतम
Deputy Prime Minister
and
Minister of Home Affairs
In office
2014–2015
President Ram Baran Yadav
Prime Minister Sushil Koirala
Preceded by Prakash Man Singh
Succeeded by Bijay Kumar Gachhadar
In office
2008–2009
President Ram Baran Yadav
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded by Krishna Prasad Sitaula
Succeeded by Bijay Kumar Gachhadar
In office
1997–1998
Monarch Birendra of Nepal
Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand
Member of National Assembly
Assumed office
2021
Preceded by Yubraj Khatiwada
Constituency Nominated
Member of Constituent Assembly of Nepal
In office
2008–2013
Constituency Bardiya 1
In office
2013–2017
Constituency Bardiya 1
Personal details
Born Pyuthan District
Nationality Nepalese
Political party CPN (Unity National Campaign)
Other political
affiliations		 Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist–Leninist) (1998) (1998-2002)
CPN (UML) (until 1998, 2002-2018)
Nepal Communist Party (2018-2021)
Spouse Tulsa Thapa
Education SLC

Bam Dev Gautam (Nepali: बाम देव गौतम) is a Nepalese politician and the former Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal. A member of CPN (Unified Socialist), Gautam is a former Senior vice Chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist). He is currently member of National Assembly nominated by President.

Gautam left Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) on 4 September 2021 and has not joined any party yet. It was reported that he may join CPN (Unified Socialist) or float a new party of his own very soon. Later Gautam wrote election song for CPN (Unified Socialist) after which he is thought to have joined CPN (Unified Socialist) internally. Although Gautam announced his own party on 28 June 2022, named Communist Party of Nepal (Unity National Campaign).

Personal life

After completing his SLC, Gautam started teaching as a profession. He is married to Tulsa Thapa who is also a Member of House of Representatives.

Political life

Early political career

Bam dev Gautam joined the Communist party of Nepal in 1964 and participated in full-time party activities from Rupandehi District in 1969. He became District Secretary of CPN Rupandehi in 1972. He played a major role in establishing Mukti Morcha with Madan Bhandari and Jeev Raj Ashrit. He later became Central member of Communist Party of Nepal(Marxist–Leninist) in 1980. After the merger, he was made a Politburo member of CPN(UML) and also attained the position of Deputy General Secretary of the party.

He was elected MP from Bardiya Constituency No. 1 in first General Election 1991 and Mid Term Election 1994. Later he became the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister in February 1997.

Split of CPN (UML) and formation of CPN (ML)

Bam Dev Gautam played a major role in splitting the CPN(UML) over the issue of Mahakali treaty with India and later formed CPN(ML) on 5 March 1998. He was elected General Secretary of the party in March of that year.

Merger to CPN (UML)

The party failed to get a single seat in House in next election. Later, Bam Dev Gautam again joined the CPN(UML).

On 31 August 2008, Bam Dev Gautam was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister in the Maoist-led Coalition Government.

In federal democratic republican Nepal

In February 2009, Bam Dev Gautam was elected one of the vice-chairman of CPN(UML) in Butwal General Convention.

On 2 May 2010 during Maoist protests, Bam Dev Gautam called for the Prime Minister to resign to end the current political stalemate.

He was a member of the 2nd Nepalese Constituent Assembly. He won the Bardia–1 and Pyuthan-1 seat in CA assembly, 2013 from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist).

2017-present

In he was defeated by Sanjay Gautam of Nepali Congress inspire of left alliance forged between CPN (UML) and CPN (Maoist Centre). Presently, he is a member of National Assembly nominated by President on recomentadion of council of ministers.

Electoral history

2017 legislative elections

Bardiya 1
Party Candidate Votes
Nepali Congress Sanjay Kumar Gautam 44,829
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Bam Dev Gautam 44,076
CPN (Marxist–Leninist) Nar Bahadur Bohora 2,372
Others 2,228
Invalid votes 5,948
Result Congress gain
Source: Election Commission

2013 Constituent Assembly election

Bardiya 1
Party Candidate Votes
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Bam Dev Gautam 18,347
UCPN (Maoist) Bhuwan Kumar Tharu 11,628
Nepali Congress Bhuwaneshwar Chaudhary 8,598
Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum, Nepal (Democratic) Thakur Singh Tharu 1,174
Others 3,595
Result CPN (UML) gain
Source: NepalNews
Pyuthan 1
Party Candidate Votes
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Bam Dev Gautam 13,962
Rastriya Janamorcha Kishna Bahadur Khadka 8,724
UCPN (Maoist) Navaraj Subedi 7,054
Nepali Congress Hukum Bahadur Bista 5,215
CPN (Marxist–Leninist) Yam Bahadur Gurung 1,017
Others 626
Result CPN (UML) gain
Source: NepalNews

2008 Constituent Assembly election

Bardiya 1
Party Candidate Votes
CPN (Maoist) Sarala Regmi 17,955
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Bam Dev Gautam 13,773
Nepali Congress Malati Sodari 6,831
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Govinda Prasad Tharu 2,324
CPN (Marxist–Leninist) Nar Bahadur Bohora 1,815
Madhesi Janaadhikar Forum, Nepal Thakur Singh Tharu 1,340
Others 1,154
Invalid votes 1,163
Result Maoist gain
Source: Election Commission

1999 legislative elections

Bardiya 1
Party Candidate Votes
Nepali Congress Kashi Paudel 17,219
CPN (Marxist–Leninist) Bam Dev Gautam 13,247
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Gobinda Prasad Koirala 10,885
Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Chand) Gaurav Chand 1,646
Others 2,774
Invalid votes 1,490
Result Congress gain
Source: Election Commission

1994 legislative elections

Bardiya 1
Party Candidate Votes
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Bam Dev Gautam 16,933
Nepali Congress Phul Ram Tharu 10,949
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Thakur Singh Tharu 5,757
Result CPN (UML) hold
Source: Election Commission

1991 legislative elections

Bardiya 1
Party Candidate Votes
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) Bam Dev Gautam 16,486
Nepali Congress 11,712
Result CPN (UML) gain
Source: [1]

See also