KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Kumar Thapa has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of senior party leader and former minister Rajendra Kharel.

Leader Kharel passed away at the age of 80 on Sunday night while undergoing treatment at Frontline Hospital in Baneshwor. In a condolence message issued today, President Thapa paid rich tributes to the late leader, wishing eternal peace for his soul, and extended heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members.

Dedicated to the ideals, principles, and democratic movements of the Nepali Congress since his student days, leader Kharel spent nearly nine years in prison at various times during his struggle for democracy in Nepal.

Born in 1946 in Kharelthok, Kavrepalanchowk, as the second child of Subba Devi Prasad and Mukunda Kumari Kharel, he remained continuously active in NC politics.

According to the party central office, Kharel made significant contributions to the party organization while working in close proximity with legendary leaders Jananayak BP Koirala, Iron Man Ganeshman Singh, and Saint Leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. Notably, from 1992 to June 1996, the central office of the Nepali Congress was operated out of his personal residence in Baneshwor.

He contested the general elections of 1991, 1994, 1999, and 2008 as an NC candidate from Kavrepalanchowk constituency no. 3. After winning the 1999 general election from Kavrepalanchowk-3, Kharel served as the Minister of State for Education and later became the Minister for Women, Children, and Social Welfare.

Holding various leadership roles within the party over the decades, Kharel played an active part in expanding its organizational base. The party office stated that his contributions toward building the party and strengthening the democratic system will always be remembered, and his long prison life, sacrifice, and dedication remain a memorable chapter in the history of the party.

With his passing, the Nepali Congress has lost an untiring warrior of Nepal’s democratic movement and an experienced, principled politician. He is survived by his three sons: Krishnachandra Kharel, Mahesh Kharel (the Mayor of Panchkhal Municipality and Regional President of Kavrepalanchowk House of Representatives Constituency No. 2), and Shailesh Kharel.