Nagarik Unmukti Party has sacked party chair Ranjita Shrestha from the position as well as the party’s general membership.

A national plenary of the party held on Wednesday endorsed the proposal to sack her on the basis of recommendation made by the party’s disciplinary committee on Tuesday, said a central committee member of the party, Balbir Chaudhary.

Earlier, the disciplinary committee decided to take action against party chair Shrestha, as internal tensions within the party escalated.

On Sunday, a majority of central committee members had issued a 24-hour ultimatum demanding clarification from Shrestha.

The disciplinary body decided to proceed with punitive measures after she failed to respond.

The committee took the action after the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority started investigation into Shrestha’s alleged involvement in a land misappropriation case in Batulechaur, Pokhara.

Despite receiving multiple requests, she had refused to call a central committee meeting. As a result, on July 25, the majority members gave her a 24-hour deadline to respond, which she ignored.

Earlier on Saturday, Shrestha had appointed senior party member Shiva Bastola as acting chair, a move that further deepened the party’s internal divide. Bastola, who is not listed in the 21-member central committee registered with the Election Commission at the party’s founding, claims he was appointed as a senior leader on 8 July under the provision in Article 20 of the party statute.

The rift within NUP appears to be widening, particularly between party chair Shrestha and her husband, party patron Resham Chaudhary. With both legal troubles and factional infighting intensifying, the party now faces a serious test of leadership and legitimacy.