Voting began in Nepal’s general election on Thursday, nearly six months after mass protests led to the fall of the government headed by KP Sharma Oli.
More than 18 million voters are eligible to cast ballots between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. local time to elect the 275-member Parliament of Nepal.
Of the total seats, 165 lawmakers will be chosen through direct voting in constituencies, while the remaining seats will be distributed under a proportional representation system, with parties nominating members according to their share of the vote.
Vote counting is expected to begin shortly after polling ends. Initial trends could emerge by Friday, but final results may take up to a week as proportional representation ballots require additional time to process, election officials said.
The political turmoil that preceded the election began after the government banned 26 social media platforms on Sept. 4. Although the restriction was lifted four days later, demonstrations expanded into wider protests over alleged corruption and poor governance.
Oli resigned a day after lifting the ban. At least 72 people were killed during the unrest, which was widely described as being driven largely by members of “Gen Z”, referring to those born from the late 1990s to early 2010s.
On Sept. 12, former chief justice Sushila Karki was appointed interim prime minister to lead the country until a new government is formed.
Oli, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), is among more than 3,400 candidates from 65 parties contesting the election.
Another key contender is the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda. The party held 32 seats, making it the third-largest force in parliament after a confidence vote in July 2024.
The three-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party has nominated rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah as its candidate for prime minister.
Shah, 35, a former mayor of Kathmandu, is contesting from the Jhapa-5 constituency against Oli, who has won the seat six times.
The Nepali Congress has put forward 49-year-old Gagan Thapa as its candidate for prime minister.