Agni Sapkota

Agni Sapkota was a Standing Committee member, of Nepal Communist Party (NCP)[2], the largest political party in Nepal at the time of filing candidacy for speaker . Before the unification of two communist parties (Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), Sapkota was serving as a Standing Committee member, the highest decision-making committee of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.

Sapkota was the member of the House of Representatives, elected through the federal election held on December 2017. He was also the member of the Historical Constituent Assemblies, elected through the election held on April 2008 and November 2013.[3] He served as a spokesperson [4], and in-charge of the publicity and education department of the party. Sapkota had served as a Minister for Information and Communication from May to July 2011.[5]

Sapkota was a Politburo member before party decides to retain only 'Chairman' in Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) from 2012. He already served the post of in-charge of Tamshiling State committee of the party.

In the historic first Constituent Assembly 2008, he was elected from Sindhupalchok constituency no-2 in the first-past-the-post system.[6] He was one of 10 members of the elected Constituent Assembly to win with the largest difference than their competitors. In 2017 federal polls, left alliance, consisting two largest parties— Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) and Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), had nominated him as a common contender for constituency-1 Sindhupalchok, Nepal.

Sapkota wins by more than 10 thousand votes, defeated Information and communication minister Mohan Bahadur Basnet from Nepali Congress.[7] A post graduate from Tribhuvan University, Sapkota had taught for 16 years before he formally joined the politics. He is a former General Secretary of Nepal National Teachers Association (a common organisation of the teachers in Nepal who believed in left ideology). Because of his professional background, he is widely addressed as 'Agni sir' all over the country.

Agni Sapkota started his political life in 1975 as a student activist. He took the communist party membership in 1978 and served as the founder secretary of Communist Party of Nepal (Fourth Convention) of Sindhupalchowk in 1980.[8] He became a full-time political activist in 1991 resigning from the post of headmaster of a high school. Then he became a candidate of House of Representative but unfortunately, he failed to elect.

Sapkota became the central committee member of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) in 1995. When the party decided to initiate armed struggle, he went underground in 1996 and led the movement continuously. Sapkota led several party committees and battles during the 10-year-long people's war. He was elected politburo member from the second national conference held in February 2001. Sapkota was a member, along with Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Top Bahadur Rayemajhi in dialogue team formed by the Maoist Party to hold the Peace Talk with the government in 2001.[9] During 10-year people's war Maoist's party has exercise parallel state called 'United Revolutionary People's Council', he was also the central member of the 41-member United Revolutionary People's Council announced in November 2001.

Sapkota has already served as a Minister for twice—Minister for Information and Communication from May to July 2011[10], and Minister for Forests and Soil Conversation from Oct 2015- July 2016. Despite his short term as a Minister of Information and Communication, a frequency policy was formulated as well as frequency distribution system was established as the state’s resources.[11] Moreover, as the Communications Minister, Sapkota ensured budged for different facilities to journalists including life insurance and capacity building training of journalists as a part of role of the state for the promotion and development of the Press.[12]

During his tenure as a Minister for Forests and Soil Conversation, Sapkota visited China on the invitation of the Chinese Minister for State Forestry Administration in Jan 2016. In the meeting with Chinese Minister for State Forestry Administration, China quest for endangered one-horned rhinos.[13] In his tenure, the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conversation proceed a proposal to handover endangered one-horned rhinos to China, later, on July 10 the cabinet officially decided to gift two pairs of one-horned rhinoceros to China.[14]

Agni Sapkota was born in Kubhinde Village of Sindhupalchok District. He was born in a low-middle class peasant family. He is married to Tara Devi and they have three sons. He completed his secondary school education from Krishna Ratna Ganga High School, Chautara.