Peaceful voting in Nepal’s first election since youth-led protests in September

Kathmandu, Nepal — Voting was peaceful Thursday in Nepal’s first nationwide election since a violent, youth-led uprising forced the government from power in September.

Security forces patrolled streets and guarded polling stations across the Himalayan nation of about 30 million people as voters lined up to cast their ballots. Counting of votes will begin after Thursday and results are expected over the weekend.

Officials said campaigning and polling were not disrupted till Thursday due to any incidents of violence.

“People are very enthusiastic about this election and we expect at least 65% voter turnout,” said Nepal’s acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari.

Authorities banned vehicles from the roads and banned political rallies and public gatherings. All forms of campaigning are restricted on election day.

People thronged polling stations from the mountains of the north to the plains of the south. In the main square of the capital, Kathmandu, men and women stood in separate rows under the warm spring sun, while police officers and soldiers maintained a tight security presence around the area.

“I came to vote mainly because of the protest and many people gave their lives in the hope of change in the hope of seeing a better Nepal,” said Luniwa, a first-time voter. “Hopefully, I want to see my country come out better for all the sacrifices that have been made.”

Others shared similar hope that the election could bring positive change to the Himalayan nation after months of political unrest.

“Every vote of ours is important because as an individual and a citizen I felt that I am able to fulfill someone and fulfill a responsibility,” said Sanjia Shrestha, who walked to the polling station despite being visually impaired.

Young voters joined older generations at polling stations across the country, with many lining up before voting began at 7am.

According to the Election Commission of Nepal, there are about 19 million registered voters out of about 30 million people in the country.

Millions of Nepalis living abroad are unable to participate in voting. An estimated 3 million citizens work abroad – mostly in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and neighboring India – and cannot vote because the country does not yet have a system that allows voting from abroad.

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.

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.

Shah, 35, has raised a wave of public anger against traditional political parties. He made health and education for poor Nepalese a major focus during his campaign.

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.

Shah was the first to reach the polling station at a local school in Kathmandu. He lives in the capital but is contesting against Oli from a district in south-eastern Nepal. He did not speak to reporters.

The next administration is expected to inherit daunting challenges. It must deliver the changes demanded by last year’s protests, tackle entrenched corruption and carefully manage relations with its powerful neighbors India and China.