KATHMANDU, July 10: Despite formally announcing its exit from the federal government and shifting to the opposition bench in Parliament, the Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP) still retains a minister in the ruling coalition, raising questions about the party’s internal coherence and political strategy.
On July 5, the party declared its decision to leave the government following the dismissal of its minister from the Sudurpaschim provincial cabinet. Subsequently, it has already taken a seat on the opposition bench in the federal parliament. However, Arun Kumar Chaudhary, the party's Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, continues to serve in the Cabinet.
Party chairperson Ranjita Shrestha said the party expects Minister Chaudhary to honor the collective decision. "We believe Minister Chaudhary will respect the directive of the party’s patron and take appropriate action," she said, while denying any personal conflict with the party patron.
This political ambiguity is further complicated by the influential presence of party patron Resham Chaudhary. He recently met with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba, raising speculation about behind-the-scenes negotiations. The meetings took place on July 7 and 8, just days after the party's official announcement to quit the government.
Chairperson Shrestha, who is also Resham Chaudhary's spouse, acknowledged the ongoing internal discussions. She insisted that the minister’s resignation is still expected "possibly by this evening," though she couldn’t confirm the exact timing.
The party has faced long-standing internal friction between Shrestha and Chaudhary, which some believe is influencing the delayed resignation. Their differences, rooted in disputes over party leadership and strategic decisions, including a potential merger with Janamat Party, have surfaced multiple times in recent years.