Nirmala Sharma has been elected president of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) becoming the first woman to lead the umbrella organisation of Nepali journalists.

Sharma contested for the top post as a candidate of the joint panel of Nepal Press Union and Press Chautari Nepal that are affiliated to the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML respectively.

The central election committee announced the election results late Sunday night. She secured 4,282 votes, defeating her closest rival, Ramesh Bista, who received 3,203 votes. Bista contested the election by forming a panel with support from organisations such as Press Centre Nepal close to Maoist Centre and the dissatisfied faction of the Press Union, among others.

Deepak Acharya was elected senior vice-president with 4,230 votes, defeating Roshan Puri, who garnered 2,886 votes. According to Chiranjeevi Khanal, coordinator of the election committee, Nitu Pandit secured the women’s vice-president position with 4,705 votes.

Other key positions were filled by Umid Bagchan as inclusive vice-president, Ram Prasad Dahal as general secretary, and Ramesh Khatiwada as secretary. Sony Sharma was elected as secretary under women category, while Sabin Priyasan, Ashok Tiwari, and Prakash Dhaulakoty were chosen as secretaries from indigenous, Madhesh, and Dalit quotas, respectively. Baikunta Raj Parajuli was elected associate secretary, and Ram Krishna Adhikari became the treasurer.

The elections were held on Friday as part of the FNJ’s 27th general convention.