KATHMANDU, Jan 22: The Ujyalo Nepal Party, led by Kulman Ghising, has faced an internal setback after three of its central leaders resigned from the party, relinquishing even their general membership.
Those who stepped down are identity rights activist Dakendra Singh Thegim, Gyan Bahadur Gurung and Amar Ijam. Thegim was also a proportional representation candidate of the party.
15 leaders quit Ujyalo Nepal Party
In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the leaders said their decision was driven by weak internal democracy, the absence of a clear ideological direction, and a lack of transparency in the party’s working procedures. They also pointed to the party’s failure to develop a written agenda on identity-related issues. The trio said they would now continue their political engagement independently, focusing on strengthening the Joint Identity Front.
Prior to the formation of the Ujyalo Nepal Party, Thegim had served as coordinator of the Province 1 Renaming Joint Struggle Committee. Gurung and Ijam were previously active in the Citizens Liberation Party and had been advocating for the establishment of “Limbuwan” across nine districts of eastern Arun.
Thegim, who was listed as the third proportional representation candidate under the indigenous Janajati category, criticized the party for not taking firm positions on identity politics, secularism, and local movements such as the “No Koshi” and “No Cable Car” campaigns. He said he would support candidates who raise these issues in the upcoming elections.
In 2024, Thegim had contested the Ilam-2 by-election as an independent candidate with the backing of Shram Sanskriti Party chair Harka Sampang. He finished third, behind CPN-UML’s Suhang Nembang.
