Voters in Nepal started to reach polling booths in all 165 constituencies amid tight security to cast their vote in the crucial general election, the first since a violent Gen Z protest that toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led government last year. More than 18.9 million eligible Nepalese are exercising their franchise to elect the 275-member House of Representatives from among the 3,406 candidates vying for 165 seats under direct voting, and 3,135 candidates vying for 110 seats through proportionate voting.
The voting started at 7 am and will conclude at 5 pm. The counting will start immediately after the ballot boxes are collected. “Voting started in all the constituencies, including the southern plains, hilly area and the mountain region at 7 am,” Election Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said.
My duty is completed: Sushila Karki
“My duty is completed…” says Nepal’s interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki after casting her vote for the country’s 2026 general election.
In Kathmandu, the weather was fine, sky was clear and people were enthusiastically queuing up to cast their votes. The Gen Z youth, through their two-day intensified protests on September 8 and 9, ousted Prime Minister Oli, chair of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified MarxistโLeninist) — CPN-UML — who was heading a coalition government with the backing of Nepali Congress that enjoyed nearly two-thirds majority support.
After Oli’s ouster, President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives on September 12 and appointed Sushila Karki as the caretaker PM.
Nepal declared a three-day holiday for polls
The major issues raised by Gen Z are anti-corruption, good governance, an end to nepotism, generational change in political leadership, etc. Starting Wednesday, Nepal has declared a three-day holiday for the polls.
There are a total of 10,967 polling booths and 23,112 polling centres, the Election Commission data showed. As many as 65 political parties are taking part in the election.
Foolproof security arrangements in Nepal for polls
Nepal has put in place foolproof security arrangements for Thursday’s election with the deployment of over 3 lakh security personnel under an integrated security plan in coordination with the Nepal Army, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
Addressing a press meet here on the eve of the polls, Acting Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said all preparations for the election have been completed and urged voters to participate actively and enthusiastically in the democratic exercise.
He said foolproof security arrangements have been made with the deployment of more than 300,000 security personnel under an integrated security plan in coordination with the Nepal Army. Bhandari expressed confidence that voters would exercise their franchise in large numbers.
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