Nepal election 2026: Who are the contenders and what’s at stake?

EXPLAINER

Nepal is set to vote on Thursday in a pivotal election that comes months after historic protests led ⁠to the resignation of ⁠the government.

Nepal is setting up polling centres for a crucial parliamentary election, six months after a Gen 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 September 2025 protests, in which at least 77 people were killed.

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

What time do polls open?

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

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

Schools and other public buildings have been converted into polling centres, where residents from remote Himalayan villages and towns across the southern plains will cast their ballots.

How many people will participate?

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

The voting age in Nepal is 18.

The number of registered voters has risen by nearly one million since the last parliamentary election in November 2022, as the youth-led uprising led to 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 to the House of Representatives, the powerful lower chamber of parliament.

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

Previous governments in Nepal have largely been coalitions, with two or more parties joining forces to command 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 the mayor of the capital, Kathmandu.

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

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

When will the results be known?

According to some media reports, the Election Commission has promised to release the results of the 165 directly-elected seats within two days of the voting.

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

Why is the election significant?

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

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