Nepalis are gearing up to vote in the first election since protests ousted the previous government

Kathmandu, Nepal — Millions of Nepalis are set to vote in crucial parliamentary elections, the first since a violent youth-led uprising toppled the previous government and led a new generation of demands for sweeping change in the Himalayan nation.

Authorities have tightened security across the country in view of the polling on Thursday. In addition to regular forces, thousands of temporary police officers have been deployed and army troops – often confined to barracks – are patrolling the streets and guarding polling stations.

The government has declared a three-day public holiday for voters to go home. Schools and other public buildings have been converted into polling stations where residents cast their ballots – from remote Himalayan villages to towns in the southern plains.

According to the Election Commission of Nepal, more than one million voters have been added to the rolls since the last national election in 2022. Many of them are first-time voters who took to the streets during last year’s protests that eventually ousted former prime minister Khadga Prasad Oli.

Analysts say the youth movement that fueled the uprising is now poised to shape the outcome of the election, as first-time voters demand accountability.

“This election, all political parties, whether they are old or new, have focused more on the youth. That is a big change in our electoral history,” said Bhojraj Pokharel, an independent political analyst and former chief election commissioner of Nepal.

Many voters say they want a break from established political parties, calling for new leadership that will tackle widespread corruption and strengthen governance in the country.

“People don’t have big expectations from those who are elected. People just want corruption to be controlled and we have good governance,” said Swastika Lamichane, a 28-year-old office worker.

Others are angry at the failed political old guard.

“Since generations before our father and grandfather, the same old politicians and parties have been elected and they have always controlled power, but they have always failed us,” said Kalpana Saud, a 25-year-old housewife.

This election is considered to be a contest between three political parties.

The National Independent Party, formed in 2022, faces a strong challenge from the widely-leading Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), which has been in power for decades.

The new party’s prime ministerial candidate Balendra Shah is a rapper-turned-politician who upended the country’s established political order by winning the Kathmandu mayoral race in 2022. He emerged as a leading voice of discontent in 2025 when Nepal was rocked by a youth-led uprising.

The Nepali Congress and the Communists retain a deeply loyal voter base. But on the campaign trail, Shah’s party drew large crowds, underscoring its growing appeal among young voters looking for an alternative.

Political instability has repeatedly rocked Nepal since the monarchy was abolished in 2008. Groups advocating the restoration of the monarchy say they expect to make significant gains in the new parliament, which they describe as growing public support for the former king.

Thousands of monarchy supporters gathered at rallies for former king Gyanendra Shah and chanted slogans to restore him as the constitutional head of state. He is seen by his supporters as the protector of Hindus in a country where he is a majority.

The former king has little chance of an immediate return to power, as support for him is not significant.

The next administration will inherit daunting challenges — delivering on promises demanded by last year’s protests and tackling entrenched corruption, while carefully managing relations with its powerful neighbors India and China. Both countries have long sought to expand their influence over Nepal.

“People have high expectations from the incoming government but the resources are very limited so it will be difficult for them to fulfill all the aspirations,” said Guna Raj Luitel, editor of one of Nepal’s most popular newspapers, the Citizen.