KATHMANDU, Aug 16: The Nagarik Unmukti Party (NUP), which unexpectedly emerged in national politics during the last parliamentary elections, is now witnessing intensified internal disputes. The conflict mainly involves Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha and Patron Resham Chaudhary, putting the party in a precarious position.
The latest development is the disciplinary action against the parliamentary party (PP) leader, Gangaram Chaudhary. Chair Ranjita took action against Gangaram on Friday. The reasons cited include calling central committee meetings while serving as the PP leader, claiming the position of General Secretary even after it was annulled by the Election Commission (EC), misusing the party’s letterhead and stamp, involving office bearers in meetings, and failing to provide satisfactory answers when questioned.
Gangaram, who had been aligned with Resham, was disciplined, further intensifying the conflict between Ranjita and Resham. Their dispute is not new; it has persisted since March 2024. Initially, the conflict revolved around party leadership, even causing the party to lose the Chief Minister position in the Sudurpashchim Province government. Communication between the two has now completely stopped, and they have not spoken for the past three weeks.
Previously, on July 31, Resham appointed Lalbir Chaudhary, his father and chief advisor, as party chairperson. He convened a meeting in Kathmandu, appointed Lalbir as chairperson, and sent the update to the EC. However, the EC did not accept it and instead reaffirmed Ranjita as party chairperson. On August 13, the EC sent a letter confirming Ranjita as the official party chairperson.
After officially reclaiming her position, Ranjita disciplined PP leader Gangaram on Friday. By disciplining Gangaram, who usually acted under Resham’s guidance, Ranjita sent a clear message to Resham not to interfere excessively. “I could use disciplinary power over everyone, but I restrained myself because this is a party built on the people’s trust. However, now many of these issues need to come to light,” Ranjita told Republica.
Resham-Ranjita feud poses hurdles to NUP-JP unification
Ranjita alleges that all illegal activities within the party were carried out under Resham’s direction. She further claims that Resham appointed Lalbir as chairperson to collect money from party representatives. According to Ranjita, a woman named Tika Laxmi Chaudhary was designated as party treasurer, and money from party representatives was deposited into her account.
“Resham collected money from party representatives, claiming it as a party levy,” Ranjita said. “The party account is with Everest Bank, but the money was not deposited there. Tika Laxmi Chaudhary, who was called the treasurer, is not the treasurer.”
According to Ranjita, the account has always been with Everest Bank, but after Lalbir was appointed chairperson, a new account was opened in a commercial bank, and party representatives were instructed to deposit money there.
She claims all these actions were carried out under Resham’s guidance. She also said that Resham never actually protected the party. “From the beginning, I believed the party should be built and run in a united way, but he never worked like that. He was only called a patron but never fulfilled that role. Nearly 300,000 people voted for this party, yet nothing was done,” she said.
Ranjita also claims that during the last parliamentary elections, financial support meant for the party was deposited by Resham into the account of his brother, Mithulal Chaudhary. According to her, a check dated November 17, 2022, shows Rs 500,000 deposited in Mithulal’s name. She says there are many such instances, which can no longer be tolerated.
Attempts to get Resham’s response went unanswered. Multiple calls initially received no response, and later his phone was switched off. PP leader Gangaram also did not answer repeated calls.
NUP in turbulent waters: What next?
Regarding the current situation, founding central member and spokesperson Damodar Pandit commented, “Today, the NUP boat is in the middle of the river, without oars and sails. Only the passengers remain onboard. Whether it will sink or reach the shore is unknown.”
For now, Pandit’s description accurately reflects the NUP’s condition. The party, which was established to carry the Tharuhat movement’s issues and uplift the Tharu community of the Terai-Madhesh region, has now reached a turbulent stage. Pandit added, “NUP was a party with enormous potential. It could have become a strong alternative force in this country. But how did it come to this?”
When asked how the party would move forward, Chairperson Ranjita said she is always ready to lead the party in a unified, balanced, and people-oriented way, but has not received support from others.
Targeting Resham, she said, “From the beginning, I have advocated running the party according to the people’s voice, and I have never done anything against the party’s interest. But some colleagues did not support me. Now, we need to discuss and decide how to proceed.” She reaffirmed her commitment to strengthen the party and lead it forward.
