# Pradip Paudel

Pradip Paudel (Nepali: प्रदिप पौडेल) is a Nepali politician serving as the Minister of Health and Population in the cabinet led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. He has been a Central Committee Member of Nepali Congress (NC) Party since 2014 and Member of Parliament (MP) from Kathmandu 5 since 2022. Paudel is from Tanahun, and began his political career with the Nepal Student Union, the student wing of the NC.

## Political Career

Paudel started his political career as a Nepal Student Union (NSU) leader at the Amrit Campus in Kathmandu. He was first elected as a Free Student Union president in 1996. From 2000-2002, he served as a central committee member of the NSU. He was subsequently elected as the vice president of Nepal Student Union for three consecutive terms from 2002-2007, after which he served as president of the Nepal Student Union from 2007 to 2012.
In September 17, 2014, then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala appointed Paudel as a member of the NC Central Committee, bringing him to the forefront of national politics within the Congress Party.
In the 2017 Nepali Provincial Elections, Paudel placed his candidacy from Tanahun-2(A) for the Provincial Assembly of Gandaki Province. However, he lost the office by five votes to Asha Koirala of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre).
In the 14th general convention of the NC held from December 13-15 2021, Paudel ran for the office of General Secretary of the NC under the panel led by Sher Bahadur Deuba, however he lost the election to two youth politicians Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma. He was once again appointed Central Committee Member of the NC party President Sher Bahadur Deuba.
In the 2022 Nepalese general election, he was elected as the member of the 2nd Federal Parliament of Nepal. He eventually supported the candidacy of Gagan Thapa for parliamentary party leader in the NC against Sher Bahadur Deuba voicing the need for youth and change in national politics.
In July 15, 2024, he was appointed as the Minister of Health and Population in the coalition government formed by the NC and CPN-UML.

## Electoral history
### 2022 Nepalese general election
#### Kathmandu 5

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Pradip Paudel | Nepali Congress | 15,269 | 34.45 |
| | Ishwor Pokharel | CPN (UML) | 10,190 | 22.99 |
| | Pranaya Shamsher Rana | Rastriya Swatantra Party | 5,477 | 12.36 |
| | Ram Prasda Upreti | Rastriya Prajatantra Party | 3,162 | 7.14 |
| | Shreeram Gurung | Independent | 2,761 | 6.23 |
| | Hemraj Thapa | Independent | 2,446 | 5.52 |
| | Sushant Shrestha | Independent | 1,712 | 3.86 |
| | Shailesh Dangol | Nepal Workers Peasants Party | 1,122 | 2.53 |
| | Others | | 2,177 | 4.91 |
| Total | Total | Total | 44,316 | 100.00 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,079 | |
| | Nepali Congress gain | Nepali Congress gain | Nepali Congress gain | Nepali Congress gain |
| Source: |||||

### 2017 Nepalese provincial elections

Tanahun 2(B) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | CPN (Maoist Centre) | Asha Koirala | 16,646 |
| | Nepali Congress | Pradip Paudel | 16,641 |
| | CPN (Marxist–Leninist) | Sobha Thapa Magar | 1,039 |
| | Others | Others | 1,395 |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 1,357 |
| Result | Result | Maoist Centre gain | Maoist Centre gain |
| Source: Election Commission ||||