# Chet Narayan Acharya

Chet Narayan Acharya (Nepali: चेत नारायण आचार्य; born 31 May 1968, Argha, located in the present-day Sandhikharka municipality of Arghakhanchi district) is a Nepalese politician who has been serving as the Chief Minister of Lumbini Province since 24 July 2024. Acharya is a member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and serves on its central committee.
Acharya has been serving as a member of the Lumbini Provincial Assembly from Arghakhanchi 1 (A) constituency since January 2018, was elected as the Parliamentary Party Leader of the CPN (Unified Marxist-Leninist) in the Provincial Assembly on August 2025, causing dissatisfaction for former chief minister Giri, who resigned as the Parliamentary Party Leader on July 7, the same day he was appointed a chief minister.

## Early life and education

Chet Narayan Acharya was born as the youngest son to his father, the late Tikaram Acharya, and his mother, Taradevi Acharya, on 31 May 1968, in Argha, located in the present-day Sandhikharka municipality of Arghakhanchi district. He was greatly influenced by his father, Tikaram Acharya, who was the founder of the Communist Party in Arghakhanchi District. Thus, he got involved in politics through the influence of his father and family. Acharya joined ANNFSU (All Nepal National Free Students Union) at the age of 11. In 1983, he was elected as a member of the ANNFSU District Committee in Arghakhanchi. In 1986, he went to Butwal for higher education and became the president of ANNFSU Butwal Multiple Campus and a district committee member. Acharya holds a bachelor's degree in law.

## Political career

Acharya's political career began in 1983 when he was elected as a member of the ANNFSU District Committee in Arghakhanchi. In 1986, he pursued higher education in Butwal, where he became the president of ANNFSU Butwal Multiple Campus and a district committee member. Upon returning to Arghakhanchi, he served in various roles, including area committee member, deputy secretary, district committee member, and district committee secretariat member for seven years starting from 1989.
Acharya was elected as the secretary in the party's third district convention in 1997. After being re-elected as the secretary in the fourth and fifth district conventions, he worked as the party's chairman for 11 years continuously. He ran in the first Constituent Assembly in 2008 from the Arghakhanchi 1 constituency but was defeated by the CPN (Maoist) candidate Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, finishing in third place. Acharya served as a member of the Lumbini Zone Committee, where he continued his party work, from 2009 to 2013. He was elected as the chairman in the seventh district convention in 2012 and worked as the party's district chairman for nine years.
In the 2017 Nepalese provincial election, he won the election from the Arghakhanchi 1 (A) constituency and took charge as the Minister for Internal Affairs and Law in Shankar Pokharel's cabinet. He was elected as a central member in the party's 10th general convention in 2021 and served as the co-in-charge of Arghakhanchi. In the 2022 Nepalese provincial election, he once again won the election from the Arghakhanchi 1 (A) constituency and was elected as the parliamentary party deputy leader of the CPN (UML) in the Lumbini Provincial Assembly. He served as the Minister for Water Supply, Rural and Urban Development, and the Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development in Leela Giri's cabinet, and as the Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning in Jokh Bahadur Mahara's cabinet.

## Personal life

Acharya is married to Dipa Acharya, who is active in politics as the chairwoman of the All Nepal Women's Association Arghakhanchi District Committee and a member of the party district committee. They have one son and one daughter.

## Electoral history
### 2022 provincial elections
#### Arghakhanchi 1 (A)

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Chet Narayan Acharya | CPN (UML) | 20,525 | 49.20 |
| | Sagar K.C. (Chhetri) | Rastriya Janamorcha | 19,790 | 47.44 |
| | Others | | 1,402 | 3.36 |
| Total | Total | Total | 41,717 | 100.00 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 735 | |
| | CPN (UML) gain | CPN (UML) gain | CPN (UML) gain | CPN (UML) gain |
| Source: |||||

### 2017 provincial elections
#### Arghakhanchi 1 (A)

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Chet Narayan Acharya | CPN (UML) | 24,751 | 61.32 |
| | Bishnu Prasad Khanal | Nepali Congress | 14,137 | 35.02 |
| | Others | | 1,476 | 3.66 |
| Total | Total | Total | 40,364 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 40,364 | 96.52 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,455 | 3.48 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 41,819 | 100.00 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,614 | |
| | CPN (UML) gain | CPN (UML) gain | CPN (UML) gain | CPN (UML) gain |
| Source: Election Commission |||||

### 2008 Constituent Assembly election
#### Arghakhanchi 1

| Candidate | Candidate | Party | Votes | % |
| | Top Bahadur Rayamajhi | CPN (Maoist) | 19,584 | 41.48 |
| | Man Bahadur Bishwakarma | Nepali Congress | 10,591 | 22.43 |
| | Chet Narayan Acharya | CPN (UML) | 9,461 | 20.04 |
| | Dilaram Acharya | Rastriya Janamorcha | 7,575 | 16.04 |
| | Others | | 0 | 0.00 |
| Total | Total | Total | 47,211 | 100.00 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | Valid votes | 47,211 | 96.17 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 1,879 | 3.83 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 49,090 | 100.00 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,993 | |
| | CPN (Maoist) gain | CPN (Maoist) gain | CPN (Maoist) gain | CPN (Maoist) gain |
| Source: Election Commission |||||