| Maheshwar Jung Gahatraj | |
| Native Name: | महेश्वर जंग गहतराज |
| Office1: | Minister for Youth and Sports |
| Termstart1: | 8 October 2021 |
| Termend1: | 26 December 2022 |
| Primeminister1: | Sher Bahadur Deuba |
| President1: | Bidhya Devi Bhandari |
| Predecessor1: | Ekbal Miya |
| Successor1: | Dig Bahadur Limbu |
| Office: | Member of Parliament, Pratinidi Sabha |
| Constituency: | Banke 1 |
| Term Start: | 4 March 2018 |
| Term End: | 18 September 2022 |
| Predecessor: | Dev Raj Bhar |
| Successor: | Surya Prasad Dhakal |
| Birth Date: | 28 August 1971[1] |
| Birth Place: | Banke District |
| Party: | CPN (Maoist Centre) |
| Nationality: | Nepali |
| Otherparty: | Nepal Communist Party (2018-2021) |
| Nickname: | Athak |
Maheshwar Jung Gahatraj (alt. forename: Maheshwor; alt. middle name:Jang, Janga; nickname:Athak) (born August 28, 1971)[2] is a Nepali communist politician and a former member of the House of Representatives of the federal parliament of Nepal.[3] He also previously served as the Minister for Youth and Sports between 8 October 2021 to 26 December 2022.[4] [5] [6] He was the commander of the first attack carried out by the Maoists, that began the Nepalese civil war.
Gahatraj was a member of CPN (Masal) until 1987.[2] He joined the Maoist party, and during the civil war, was the party "In-Charge" for Rukum, Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet, Humla, Kalikot, Jumla and Mugu districts.[2] At the commencement of the maoist insurgency in Nepal in 1996, he was the commander of the first attack against Nepali government, carried out on the police post in Radijyula, Aathbiskot of Rukum.[2] As of 2013, he was the central committee member of the Maoist party, having been in the role since 2003.[2] After the maoists joined the peace process, he focused his political activities from Banke District, and was the candidate for the party from Banke-1 constituency in 2013 constituent assembly elections.[2]
In the 2017 legislative election, he was elected to parliament under the first-past-the-post representing CPN (Maoist Centre) of the left alliance in Banke-1 constituency. He defeated his nearest rival, Madhav Ram Khatri of Nepali Congress, acquiring 31,173 votes to Khatri's 28,217.[7]
Following the merger of CPN (Maoist Centre) with CPN UML to form Nepal Communist Party (NCP), he represents the new party in parliament.[8] He was also elected "Co-Incharge" of the party for Banke District.[9]