Ashwashan Dahal
Son of Kaji Bala Narshing Kunwar and Kajini Ganeshkumari, Bam Bahadur Kunwar was born in 1875 B.S as the second child of the Kunwar couple. Bam Bahadur’s sons include Bam Bikram Rana, Yaksha Bikram Rana and Tek Bahadur Rana. The ninth commander-in-chief of Nepal Army, he was promoted from Kaji to a general during Kotparva that took place in 1903 B.S.
When his brother Junga Bahadur went on a visit to England in 1906 AD, he was the then Commander-in-Chief as well as acting Prime Minister of Nepal. In 1911 BS, he was made a minister, and was assigned to capture Kerung. When their soldiers arrived in the eastern province on Sharawan 18, 1913 BS, Junga Bahadur forced King Surendra to make the official decree and Bam Bahadur was appointed Prime Minister. But he was a Prime Minister fully controlled by his elder brother Junga Bahadur. During his tenure, Junga Bahadur was made the Maharaja of Kaski and Lamjung.
After becoming the Prime Minister for only ten months, he died at the age of thirty-nine. After his untimely demise, Krishna Bahadur Kunwar was appointed Prime Minister for a short time.
The roll of succession of Prime ministers among the Ranas was decided according to Agnate rule. According to this rule, the roll of succession would go to brothers, not to the sons. After the turns of brothers it would shift to their sons. According to experts, Junga Bahadur introduced this system because he was able to start Rana regime with support from his six brothers.
There are different views on sudden resignation from Junga Bahadur from the post of the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief under which there are two reasons opined by experts. Firstly, Junga Bahadur owed to Bam Bahadur because he revealed the secrecy of conspiracy made against Junga Bahadur by his another brother Bala Narshing Kunwar. To be free from this awe, he made Bam Bahadur the next Prime Minister. Another reason was that he wanted another Prime Minister to take the load of loan of four to five hundred thousand rupees on his head, which was incurred during the Nepal–Tibet war. But no one knows why Junga Bahadur suddenly resigned. The above two reasons are only hearsays. After the death of Bam Bahadur, he again declared himself as the Prime Minister.
So we can say that there was clear and candid reason which made him resign.