KP began his political career in 1966. He became a member of the Communist Party of Nepal in February 1970. He became involved in subversive politics in opposition to the party-less Panchayat System in place at the time. For his activities, he was arrested for the first time in 1970. A year later 

he became the District committee member of party and soon the Chief of the Jhapa Movement Organizing Committee in 1972. Oli was arrested and imprisoned for 14 consecutive years for murders from 1973 to 1987. [3] The murders were attributed to "Murkatta revolution", beheading political opponents and landlords. After escaping from jail in 1987, he became a central committee member of UML as an in-charge for Lumbini Zone until 1990. He then went on to hold the post of chief of foreign department of the CPN (UML) in 1992. Oli also became the Founder President of the National Democratic Youth Federation of Nepal (DNYFOli was elected as the chairman of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) in July 2014.[4][5] Oli was elected as leader of the CPN-UML Parliamentary Party in the 2nd Constituent Assembly on 4 February 2014, defeating party chairman Jhala Nath Khanal by a vote of 98 to 75.[6] His hometown is in Damak of Jhapa district in Madhesh plain of Nepal. He won the Jhapa–7 seat in the 2013 Constituent Assembly election as a CPN-UML candidatSubsequently, he became a member of the parliament in the House of Representatives (HOR) from Jhapa district's electorate no. 6 in 1991 and from Jhapa electorate no. 2 in 1999 as well. Soon he became the chief of the department of publicity. In the ever changing political situation of Nepal, Oli became the Cabinet Minister of Ministry of Home Affairs through the short period of 1994 to 1995. Then in 2006, Oli became the Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal during the interim government. He was also assigned to look into the death of fellow politician Madan Bhandari. From April 2006 to 2007, Oli was assigned as the Minister of Foreign Affairs. While in the Second Nepalese Constituent Assembly, Oli won the Jhapa–7 seat in 2013 as a CPN-UML contender. Oli was designated as the Chief of the International Department of the CPN-UML Parliamentary Party.