Youth Association Damak Chairman Chhabi Khatiwada Quits UML, Announces Support for Balen Shah in Jhapa-5

At a time when election fever is rising in Jhapa Constituency No. 5, considered a strong stronghold of the CPN (UML), Chhabi Khatiwada, a youth leader close to the UML, has resigned from the party. Khatiwada, the chairman of the National Youth Federation Nepal, Damak Municipal Committee, announced via a Facebook post on Wednesday that he has relinquished both his party membership and his position.

He has decided to spend his future political life as an "independent" after renouncing his organized membership in the UML and his post as chairman of the Youth Federation. He wrote on social media, "As of today, January 21, 2026, I, Chhabi Khatiwada, have decided to resign from the post of Chairman of the National Youth Federation Nepal, Damak Municipal Committee, and as an organized member of the CPN (UML). Embracing change, I have decided to support the election campaign of candidate Balen Shah in Jhapa-5 and spend the rest of my political life independently."

As Balen Shah's candidacy in Jhapa-5 continues to gain traction, the open support from Khatiwada, a youth leader considered influential at the local level, is expected to bring a new turn to the electoral equations. In his Facebook post, he thanked the party, friends, and family who have supported him so far and expressed his commitment to remaining active in social life and progressive change in the coming days.

With Khatiwada, who held significant influence within the party, deciding to join Balen Shah's campaign on the eve of the election, observers in Damak and surrounding areas have begun to analyze this as a major political loss for the UML.

Photo: Chhabi Khatowada's Facebook