# Hikmat Kumar Karki

Hikmat Kumar Karki (Nepali: हिक्मत कुमार कार्की; born 26 September 1964, Gauradah, Kingdom of Nepal) is a Nepalese politician who has been serving as the Chief Minister of Koshi Province since 9 May 2024. Previously, he held the same position from 9 January 2023 to 7 July 2023, and from 8 September 2023 to 14 October 2023.
Karki is a member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and serves on its standing committee. He has been serving as a member of the Provincial Assembly of Koshi Province from Jhapa 5 (A) since 5 February 2018 and was elected as the Parliamentary Party Leader of the CPN (Unified Marxist-Leninist) in the Provincial Assembly in December 2022. Karki, who served as the Minister for Internal Affairs and Law in Sher Dhan Rai's cabinet from 15 February 2018 to 26 August 2021, also served as the Leader of the Opposition in the Koshi Provincial Assembly during the periods of 7 July 2023 to 8 September 2023 and 3 November 2023 to 3 May 2024.

## Early life and education

Hikmat Kumar Karki was born as the third child to father late Bam Bahadur Karki and mother Januka Devi Karki on September 26, 1964, in Gauradah, Kingdom of Nepal. His childhood was spent in Gauradah, where he completed his SLC (School Leaving Certificate) education at Janata Secondary School, Gauradah. During his school years, he participated in the 1979 Nepalese student protests (2036 B.S.) and joined student politics by organizing with ANNFSU (All Nepal National Free Students Union). He came into contact with the party around the year 1979 (2036 B.S.). He later moved to Dharan in 1985 (2042 B.S.) with the objective of studying IL (Intermediate of Law) at Mahendra Multiple Campus. Then, he went on to join Nepal Law Campus in Kathmandu. Karki has completed his studies up to the Master of Laws (LLM) level at Tribhuvan University.

## Personal life

In 2001, Karki married Anjana Pandey Karki, with whom he has two daughters and one son.

## Electoral history
### 2022 provincial elections
#### Jhapa 5 (A)

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Hikmat Kumar Karki | CPN (UML) | 22,530 | 49.27 |
| | Jeevan Kumar Rai | Nepali Congress | 17,058 | 37.30 |
| | Dunnilal Rajbanshi | Janamat Party | 2,485 | 5.43 |
| | Surya Prasad Limbu | Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch | 1,650 | 3.61 |
| | Lachhuman Limbu | People's Socialist Party | 703 | 1.54 |
| | Others | | 1,305 | 2.85 |
| Total | Total | Total | 45,731 | 100.00 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,472 | |
| | CPN (UML) hold | CPN (UML) hold | CPN (UML) hold | CPN (UML) hold |
| Source: |||||

### 2017 provincial elections
#### Jhapa 5 (A)

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Hikmat Kumar Karki | CPN (UML) | 24,098 | 53.12 |
| | Anil Krishna Prasai | Nepali Congress | 18,636 | 41.08 |
| | Surya Prasad Limbu | Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch | 1,045 | 2.30 |
| | Others | | 1,586 | 3.50 |
| Total | Total | Total | 45,365 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 45,365 | 95.80 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,989 | 4.20 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 47,354 | 100.00 |
| | CPN (UML) gain | CPN (UML) gain | CPN (UML) gain | CPN (UML) gain |
| Source: Election Commission |||||