Nepal Elections 2026: Who are the contenders and what is at stake? | Elections News

EXPLAINER

Nepal will vote on Thursday in a crucial election that comes months after historic protests led to the government’s resignation.

Nepal is setting up voting centers for a crucial parliamentary election, six months after a Generation Z-led uprising toppled the government.

The Himalayan republic will elect a new parliament on Thursday, replacing the interim administration that has led the country of 30 million people since the deadly protests in September 2025, in which at least 77 people died.

Here’s everything you need to know about the key vote:

What time do the polls open?

Polls will open at 7 am local time (01:30 GMT) on March 5 and will continue at more than 23,000 voting stations until 5 pm (11:30 GMT) local time.

The government has declared a three-day public holiday to allow voters to travel home.

Schools and other public buildings have been converted into voting centers, where residents of remote Himalayan villages and cities in the southern plains will cast their votes.

How many people will participate?

Nearly 19 million people, including some 800,000 first-time voters, have registered to take part in the elections. About 9.66 million voters are men and 9.24 million are women.

The voting age in Nepal is 18 years.

The number of registered voters has increased by almost a million since the last parliamentary elections in November 2022, as the youth-led uprising generated greater interest in politics.

How does voting work in Nepal?

In 2015, Nepal introduced what is called a mixed electoral system.

Voters will directly elect 165 members of the House of Representatives, the powerful lower house of parliament.

The remaining 110 seats in the 275-member House will be filled through a system of proportional representation, in which political parties will nominate lawmakers based on the proportion of votes each party receives.

Previous governments in Nepal have largely been coalitions, with two or more parties joining forces to gain a majority in the House.

Who are the key parties and candidates?

Two traditional political parties are facing a challenge from a newly formed party led by a former rapper, Balendra Shah, who was also mayor of the capital, Kathmandu.

The centrist Nepali Congress party and the Communist Party of Nepal (unified Marxist-Leninist) have long been the dominant parties. However, they had been part of the government overthrown last year and have faced public discontent.

On the other hand, Shah’s National Independent Party, formed in 2022, has gained significant support during the campaign. He is said to be a strong candidate for prime minister.

When will the results be known?

According to some media reports, the Electoral Commission has promised to publish the results of the 165 directly elected seats within two days of the vote.

Results for the remaining 110 seats, elected through proportional representation, are likely to take another two or three days.

Why are elections important?

This is the first election in Nepal since last year’s Generation Z-led protests, which called for the rejection of the country’s established parties, seen as corrupt and aging.

Political parties have pledged to amplify the voices of younger voters, promising to tackle corruption, improve governance and create more jobs.