Nearly six months after an unprecedented wave of youth protests forced Nepal’s then-prime minister to resign, people have begun voting in a general election that is shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown between the entrenched old guard and a powerful youth movement.
Key figures competing in the election include the former Marxist prime minister seeking a return to office, a rapper-turned-mayor banking on the youth vote and the newly elected leader of the powerful Nepali Congress party.
Nearly 19 million voters will choose who replaces the interim government in place since the September 2025 uprising, in which at least 77 people were killed and parliament and dozens of government buildings were burned.
The youth-led protests under a vague Gen Z banner began as a demonstration against a brief social media ban, but were fueled by broader grievances against corruption and a dismal economy.
Sushila Karki, the interim prime minister, has urged people to vote “without any fear,” and thousands of soldiers and police are deployed at polling stations.
The election has seen a wave of younger candidates promising to tackle Nepal’s woeful economy, challenging veteran politicians who have dominated for decades and arguing that their experience guarantees stability and security.
“We are very hopeful,” said Sashi Gurung, 33, who will vote in Kathmandu.
“These elections are not a normal election. This will be one of the turning points for Nepalis, for Nepal.”
Helicopters have transported materials for voters to snow-covered mountain regions across Nepal, home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest.
But all eyes will be on the agricultural plains south of the capital, where the three prime ministerial hopefuls are contesting seats, a change from past elections that centered on the capital, Kathmandu.
The normally quiet eastern city of Jhapa will be the scene of a head-to-head competition between two key rivals.
KP Sharma Oli, the 74-year-old Marxist leader ousted as prime minister last year and seeking a return to power, is being challenged in his home constituency by former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician.
The Jhapa-5 constituency, with about 163,000 voters, will determine whether Oli gets his seat or Shah enters parliament.
Shah, of the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has presented himself as a symbol of youth-driven political change, encouraging voters to “ring the bell” for change, a reference to the party’s symbol.
Also in the race to be prime minister is Gagan Thapa, 49, the new head of the country’s oldest party, the Nepali Congress, who has told the AFP news agency that he wants to end the “old age” club of rotating veteran leaders.
“Many people, including Generation Z, sacrificed their lives,” said Shiv Shrestha, 57, who will vote in Jhapa district.
“There has to be a change,” he added. “Corruption must end and more employment opportunities must be created here in Nepal. What happened last year should not happen again.”
More than 3,400 candidates are running for 165 seats in direct elections to the 275-member House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, and 110 more are elected through party lists.
Nepal’s mountainous terrain presents logistical challenges for transporting ballot boxes after voting is over.
“We will also use helicopters to collect them. Once they are collected and counting begins, we will publish the results within 24 hours under the direct election system,” Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari told reporters on Wednesday.
Results under the proportional representation system may take longer. Analysts say the vote is unlikely to provide an outright majority for a single party.
It could take several days to get full results, and longer if negotiations for a coalition government prove complicated. Voting will close at 5:00 p.m.
