6 March 2026
Millions of Nepalis have voted in the country’s first general election since violent youth-led protests toppled the government last September.
Corruption, economic stagnation and inequality were the main issues in the vote. They sparked the uprising in which 77 people died, many of them protesters shot by police.
The election represents a crossroads for Nepal, pitting the establishment against a new generation of politicians advocating for angry, young Gen Z voters hungry for change.
Counting the votes cast for the Nepalese parliament’s 275 seats is expected to take several days, and results are not expected before next week.
Nepal’s mountainous terrain makes it slow and difficult to transport ballots, which are tallied by hand.
Nearly 19 million people, including almost a million first-time voters, were registered to take part in the 5 March ballot for the House of Representatives. The Election Commission, speaking shortly after polls closed, said it expected voter turnout to be around 60%.
Voting was largely peaceful, and there was a huge security presence across the country.
eading candidates include KP Sharma Oli, the prime minister toppled in the protests, and Balen Shah, a former rapper who resigned as Kathmandu’s mayor in January to take him on in his constituency, the Jhapa 5 seat, one of the key election races.
For Oli, the election will be a major test. He and his party, the Communist Party of Nepal UML, have insisted the protests were not a referendum on his leadership and that he is still beloved by the public. He told the BBC he’s confident he will win this election.
The leader of the Nepali Congress, Gagan Thapa, believes younger voters are tired of “unholy alliances” and “poor governance” in previous coalitions, and that the party is listening to Gen Z voters.
Balen Shah, who is representing the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), refused to speak directly to the press on Thursday, staying true to form by turning up in his signature black sunglasses and storming through a crowd of journalists.
Source:BBC
