Elections in Nepal on March 5: Will the country get back on track after Gen Z protests?
The general elections in the Himalayan nation of Nepal on March 5 are not just a process of regime change but will decide whether the country will be able to regain the path of stability after the Gen Z resentment that emerged against corruption, unemployment, and political instability. The election was necessitated by the fall of the government following a massive youth-led agitation in Kathmandu in September last year.
Over 1.89 crore voters will exercise their franchise in Nepal, which has a population of around 3.05 crore. These include about 92 lakh women. Polling will be held on the same day at 10,967 polling stations across the country. A total of 3,484 candidates from 68 political parties and independents are in the fray for the 275-member House of Representatives. At present, the command of the country is in the hands of the interim government led by former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Sushila Karki.
Nepal's electoral structure is a mixed system based on the 2015 Constitution. Under this, 165 MPs are elected through direct voting i.e. first-past-the-post system, while 110 seats are filled through proportional representation. The objective of this system is to prevent the complete domination of a single party and to give due representation to smaller parties and minorities in Parliament. This is the reason why coalition governments have been common in Nepal, but due to this, political instability has also persisted.
The race for the post of Prime Minister is considered very interesting this time. Four-time Prime Minister and CPN-UML leader Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli is again in the electoral fray from Jhapa-5 seat. He had to resign as prime minister in September 2025 under pressure from the youth movement, but his political base is still considered strong in eastern Nepal.
In front of him is 35-year-old Balendra Shah, who has emerged as the face of Gen Z's aspirations. Structural engineer-turned-rapper and then politician Balendra Shah is very popular on social media. Recently, he resigned from the post of Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party, which is led by TV journalist-turned-politician Rabi Lamichhane. Despite the ban on opinion polls in Nepal, the general political buzz is that Balendra Shah is considered to be ahead in the race to reach the center of power, the Singh Durbar.
The Nepali Congress, the country's oldest party, has put forward its new president, Gagan Kumar Thapa as the face of the Prime Minister's post as the third major contender. He replaces five-time prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who decided not to contest the elections this time. At the same time, another former Prime Minister, Jhala Nath Khanal is also keeping himself away from this election.
Veteran leader of Left politics Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda) is also seen active once again. The Maoist movement, which lasted from 1996 to 2006, ended Nepal's 240-year-old monarchy and made it a federal democratic republic in 2008. However, the change of more than 14 governments in the last two decades shows that political stability remains the biggest challenge in Nepal.
The Election Commission of Nepal has implemented a strict code of conduct this time. There is a clear ban on the participation of minors in election campaigning. The ballot boxes will be sent to Kathmandu as soon as the voting ends at 5 pm on March 5. The results of the direct system are likely to be declared within 24 hours and the results of proportional representation seats are likely to be declared in two to three days.
Nepal's 1,751-km-long open border is connected to India, so the impact of Kathmandu's political stability is felt in eastern and northeast India. Recently, India has provided around 100 pickup trucks and other supplies to Nepal to help in election preparations. Issues such as China's growing role in India-Nepal relations, border security, and regional balance also make this election strategically important.
The biggest question now is whether this election, born out of Gen Z opposition, will lead Nepal towards stable, transparent and development-oriented governance, or will the old era of coalition politics and power struggle continue. The answer will be locked in the ballot boxes on March 5.
