Barsaman Pun

Nepali politician

Barsaman Pun

वर्षमान पुन

Minister of Finance of Nepal
In office
6 March 2024 – 17 July 2024
President| Ram Chandra Poudel
Prime Minister| Pushpa Kamal Dahal
Preceded by| Prakash Sharan Mahat
Succeeded by| Bishnu Prasad Paudel
In office
August 2011 – March 2013
President| Ram Baran Yadav
Prime Minister| Baburam Bhattarai
Preceded by| Bharat Mohan Adhikari
Succeeded by| Shankar Prasad Koirala
Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation of Nepal
In office
16 March 2018 – 25 December 2022
President| Bidhya Devi Bhandari
Prime Minister| KP Sharma Oli
Preceded by| Mahendra Bahadur Shahi
Succeeded by| Top Bahadur Rayamajhi
Minister of Peace and Reconstruction of Nepal
In office
14 February 2011 – April 2011
President| Ram Baran Yadav
Prime Minister| Jhalanath Khanal
Preceded by| Rakam Chemjong
Succeeded by| Bishwonath Shah
Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha

Incumbent

Assumed office
4 March 2018
Preceded by| Krishna Bahadur Mahara
Constituency| Rolpa 1
Member of Constituent Assembly
In office
28 May 2008 – 28 May 2012
Preceded by| Sushila Nepal
Succeeded by| Udaya Shumsher Rana
Constituency| Lalitpur 1
Personal details
Born|  (1971-06-01) 1 June 1971 (age 53)[1]
Jangkot, Rolpa
Political party| CPN (Maoist Centre)
Spouse| Onsari Gharti Magar

Barsaman Pun,[a] also known by his nom de guerre Ananta, is a Nepali communist politician and former Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.

Pun has previously served as Minister of Finance and Minister of Peace and Reconstruction.[2] He was a leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre) during the insurgency period and served as one of the 4 deputy commanders of People's Liberation Army.[3]

## Insurgency

[edit]

He commanded the attack on Holeri police station on February 13, 1996 which marked the beginning of the civil war.[4] He was appointed as the PLA Eastern Division commander following the 2002 central committee meeting.[5] Some of the battles he commanded in this capacity include the attack at Bhiman, Sindhuli in September 2002 which led to the death of 49 policemen and the attack on Bandipur barracks in May 2005.[6] He was appointed as a deputy commander of People's Liberation Army at the Chunbang conference in 2005.[7]

## Political career

[edit]

Following the Second People's movement and Comprehensive Peace Accord, Pun transitioned into politics. He was elected to the first Constituent Assembly from Lalitpur-1. He contested the second Constituent Assembly from Morang in line with the party policy of top Maoist leaders contesting the election from the Terai belt. However, he came in third place behind then Congress District Chairman Dig Bahadur Limbu and CPN-UML candidate Ghanashyam Khatiwada. He contested the 2017 House of Representatives election from his home district, Rolpa and was elected to parliament.

## MCC Compact

[edit]

MCC began developing the compact at the request of Nepal[8] in 2012 when Baburam Bhattarai was prime minister and Barsaman Pun was finance minister of Nepal.[9]

The compact was taken to parliament for ratification on 15 July 2019 when KP Sharma Oli was prime minister and Barsaman Pun the energy minister.[10]

## Electoral history

[edit]

Election  | House  | Constituency  | Party  | Votes  | Position  | Opponent  | Party  | Votes  | Result

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2008 | Constituent Assembly | Lalitpur 1 |  | Maoist Centre | 15,329  | 1st  | Udaya Shumsher Rana |  | Nepali Congress | 14,011  | Y Elected
2013 | Constituent Assembly | Morang 9  |  | 8,525  | 3rd  | Dig Bahadur Limbu |  | Nepali Congress | 15,202  | N Defeated
2017 | House of Representatives | Rolpa 1 |  | 42,084  | 1st  | Amar Singh Pun  |  | Nepali Congress | 20,337  | Y Elected
2022 | House of Representatives |  | 41,714  | 1st  | Purna Budha Magar  |  | CPN (UML) | 16,485  | Y Elected

## Personal life

[edit]

He is married to Onsari Gharti Magar, a fellow communist politician and former speaker of the Legislature-Parliament.[11]

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Also transliterated as Barsha Man Pun or Barshaman Pun.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ संघीय संसद सदस्य, २०७४ परिचयात्मक पुस्तिका [Federal Parliament Members 2017 Introduction Booklet] (PDF) (in Nepali). Nepal: Federal Parliament Secretariat. 2021. p. 270.
2. ^ Kharel, Pranab (4 September 2011). "PM Bhattarai swears in 13 more Cabinet members". www.ekantipur.com/. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
3. ^ Ogura, Kiyoko. "Meeting Pasang in Rolpa". Nepalitimes. Kunda Dixit. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
4. ^ Pun, Kiran. "Woeful tale of former commander". Republic. Binod Gyawali. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
5. ^ "Nepal's Maoist: Their Aims, Structure and Strategy" (PDF). International Crisis Group. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
6. ^ "One year of Qualitative Military Leap". OHCHR. OHCHR. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
7. ^ "बर्षमान पुन 'अनन्त' : सैन्य ईन्चार्जदेखि उर्जा मन्त्रीसम्म". Nepalpatra. 17 April 2018. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
8. ^ "MCC IN NEPAL, Top Ten Facts". U.S. Embassy in Nepal. 17 January 2020. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
9. ^ Editorial. "Challenge of the millennium". Retrieved 16 September 2021.
10. ^ "एमसीसी टेबल गर्न सभामुखलाई भनिसकेको छु : प्रधानमन्त्री देउवा". ekantipur.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 18 February 2022.
11. ^ "Onsari elected First Woman Speaker". The Kathmandu Post. Archived from the original on 6 October 2016. Retrieved 9 November 2015.