Prachanda took the oath of office and secrecy from President Bhandari at an official ceremony at Shital Niwas. Born in Dhikurpokhari of Kaski district near Pokhara on December 11, 1954, Prachanda remained underground for almost 13 years. He joined mainstream politics when the CPN-Maoist adopted peaceful politics, ending a decade-long armed insurgency.
