KATHMANDU – The Election Commission has formally decided that Ranjita Shrestha remains the chairperson of the Nagarik Unmukti Party.

According to Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, the decision was made in line with the Political Parties Act and the party’s constitution. “The details submitted by the dissenting faction did not comply with the Act and the statute,” he said.

Earlier, on July 30, a gathering of the party’s founding members had decided to remove Shrestha and appoint Lalbir Chaudhary as the new chairperson. Lalbir is the father of Nagarik Unmukti Party’s founding chair, Resham Chaudhary, and the father-in-law of Shrestha.

With the commission’s decision, Resham Chaudhary’s attempt to replace his wife with his father as party leader has failed.