Counting of votes has begun in Nepal after peaceful parliamentary elections

Kathmandu, Nepal — Election officials were counting votes on Friday, a day after parliamentary elections in Nepal, the first nationwide vote since a violent, youth-led uprising forced the former government from power in September.

The Election Commission said that counting of votes started in 53 constituencies out of 165 constituencies on Friday morning and it is expected to start in the remaining constituencies by the end of the day.

Some polling stations are located high up in remote mountain villages, accessible only by days of hiking, with key officials arranging for ballot boxes to be airlifted to the counting stations by helicopter.

Results are expected by the weekend, with election officials estimating around 60% turnout.

Voters directly elect 165 members to the House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament. The remaining 110 seats in the 275-member body are allocated through a proportional representation system, under which political parties nominate legislators based on their vote share.

People had gathered outside the centers where the counting of votes was going on. In the capital Kathmandu, supporters celebrated by chanting slogans in support of their candidates.

The election is widely seen as a three-cornered contest, shaped by voter frustration with widespread corruption and demands for greater government accountability.

The National Independent Party, founded in 2022, is considered the frontrunner, posing a strong challenge to the two long-dominant parties: the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (a unified Marxist-Leninist).

Balendra Shah, the rapper-turned-politician who emerged as a key figure in the 2025 coup that ousted former prime minister Khadga Prasad Oli, won the 2022 Kathmandu mayoral race and is the new party’s prime ministerial candidate.

The 35-year-old Shah, riding a wave of public anger toward traditional political parties, had highlighted health and education for poor Nepalis as key focuses of his campaign.

The 2025 protests against corruption and poor governance were sparked by a social media ban before snowballing into a popular uprising against the government. Dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured when protesters stormed government buildings and police opened fire on them.

While the Congress and the Communists retain loyal voter bases, Shah’s party has drawn more people on the campaign trail, highlighting its growing appeal among young voters seeking an alternative.