The Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) has removed Ranjita Shrestha as its chairperson.
A national conference of the NUP held on Wednesday unanimously passed a proposal to remove Ranjita Shrestha from the position of chairperson, according to Ram Lal Dagaura Tharu, chairman of the NUP disciplinary committee.
“She was given a 24-hour notice to furnish clarification, but her response was unsatisfactory. Furthermore, she acted against the statute,” Dagaura said. “The conference had proposed her removal as chairperson, and it was unanimously approved.”
Shrestha was implicated in the Pokhara litchi orchard land controversy, with an audio recording allegedly involving her also made public. The party’s disciplinary committee had sought clarification from her regarding the matter.
Instead of responding, Shrestha appointed senior vice-chairman Shiva Bastola as acting chairperson and left, which sparked dissatisfaction within the party. NUP patron Resham Chaudhary objected to her move, stating that the party statute did not have any provisions for appointing an acting chair in that manner.
Dagaura said a meeting scheduled for Thursday will appoint a new chairperson.
According to him, Lalbir Chaudhary, Resham’s father and a House of Representatives member from Bardiya, is among the names being discussed for the role.
Resham Chaudhary had also contested from Bardiya, but his candidacy was canceled. The party then supported Lalbir, who ran as an independent and won the election.
Lalbir, however, is not a founding member of the NUP.
In January 2022, Resham Chaudhary registered the party from prison, with Ranjita Shrestha as chairperson and 21 central committee members. Dagaura noted that the new chairperson must be appointed from among the founding members.
“We will appoint the chairperson from the founding members. The names proposed tomorrow will determine the outcome. There are legal complexities with then names currently being discussed,” he said.
The conference on Wednesday also decided to submit a 201-member updated working committee to the Election Commission.
