Resham Chaudhary has been elected as the chairman of the Nagarik Unmukti Party.

Chaudhary, the sole candidate for the post, was unanimously elected for the post at the party’s first general convention held in Tikapur of Kailali on Friday, said party leader Ganesh Chaudhary.

Chaudhary, who was serving a life term after being convicted of masterminding the 2015 Tikapur massacre, had founded the Nagarik Unmukti Party while in prison before the 2022 November polls.

The party has four seats in the House of Representatives. It won a total of 12 seats in the provincial assemblies. It has seven seats in Sudurpaschim Province, four in Lumbini and one in Madhesh Province.

Besides, it has won the seats of mayor and chairpersons in four local units of Kailali, in addition to 99 other positions of ward chairpersons and members.

The party was registered at the Election Commission on January 3, 2022 by Chaudhary’s wife Ranjeeta Shrestha Chaudhary, who was the party chair so far. She is now minister for land reform and management in the federal government.

Former lawmaker Resham Chaudhary was released from Dillibazar prison on May 28, 2023 after President Ramchandra Paudel, on the government’s recommendation, commuted his remaining jail term.