Bishnu Raj Acharya obituary: Congress stalwart from Kapilvastu

Bishnu Raj Acharya, former member of parliament and Nepali Congress (NC) leader, passed away on April 23. He was 74.

Acharya, born and raised in Bharatpur of Kaski district, went to Varanasi, India to pursue his higher studies. His political rite of passage happened during his college years in India after he met Congress leaders BP Koirala, Ganesh Man Singh and Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, among others. 

He started building an interest in political discourse and began participating in party meetings and his involvement in politics only increased after returning to Nepal. Acharya’s political career as a Congress cadre started from Kapilvastu district from where he played an active role in the 1990 democratic movement. 

His contribution to the movement didn’t go unnoticed, and the party gave him a ticket to contest the 1991 general elections.

Acharya won and became a member of the parliament from Kapilvastu Constituency No. 3. He was re-elected in the 1994 elections. 

Although he had made Buddhabhumi of Kapilvastu his home, he later moved to Kathmandu with his family. But Acharya was always connected to Kapilvastu; it was the place where he had come of age politically.   

When he was just starting out in politics, Kapilvastu, and particularly his village of Buddhabhumi, was poor and underdeveloped. The party-less Panchayat government of the time had not paid much attention to the plights of its residents. It was Acharya who brought various infrastructure projects and development programs to the district. As a parliamentarian, he helped build health posts, school buildings, roads, bridges and water supply facilities in various parts of Kapilvastu.

In 1996, Acharya worked closely with late Girija Prasad Koirala, the then Congress president and parliamentary party leader. He was among Koirala's most trusted, says Surendra Raj Acharya, another NC leader and lawmaker. 

Surendra Raj says Acharya was a respected figure both in and outside the party.

“He was loyal to his constituents and always worked to improve their living conditions,” Surendra Raj tells ApEx, remembering Acharya. “He didn't have one bad habit.”

Other NC leaders remember Acharya as a veteran leader who helped build the party organization in Kapilvastu. 

NC President and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba described Acharya’s passing as an irreparable loss to the party. 

“Late Acharya’s contribution to the party and Nepal's democratic movements will always be remembered,” Deuba said in his condolence message. 

Acharya had long suffered from diabetes. His condition had deteriorated after a surgery of his leg. He died at his residence in Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu. He is survived by his wife and their three daughters. 

Birth: 1948, Kaski

Death: 23 April 2022, Kathmandu