Nepal Heads to Polls in Decisive Election Pitting Incumbent Parties Against Rising Generation Z Candidates

Nepal General Elections: Key Contenders and Preparations

Overview Nepal is set to hold its general elections on March 5, 2026, marking a crucial step towards ending the country's six-month interim government led by Sushila Karki. The elections will replace the 275-seat House of Representatives, with 165 members elected through the first past-the-post system and 110 through proportional representation.

Key Contenders

• KP Sharma Oli, former Prime Minister of the Communist Party CPN-UML, seeks to regain power.
• Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as 'Prachanda', the long-time Maoist leader, will contest with a ticket from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) or CPN (MC).
• Balendra Shah, the former mayor of Kathmandu and a popular youth leader, has been fielded by Nepal's Rashtriya Swatantra Party as its Prime Ministerial candidate.
• Gagan Thapa, a 49-year-old popular youth leader, has been fielded by the country's oldest party, Nepali Congress.

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Election Preparations

The interim government has completed all preparations for the election, including deploying over 300,000 security personnel under an integrated security plan coordinated with the Nepal Army. Foolproof security arrangements have been put in place to ensure a peaceful democratic exercise.

Background

Nepal has experienced chronic political instability since the abolition of the monarchy in 2008, with 14 governments in 17 years under eight different Prime Ministers. The country's instability was fueled by corruption, youth unemployment, and the suspension of social media platforms by the Oli government in September 2025. The subsequent protests led to the ouster of KP Oli and the installation of a non-political, transitional government led by Sushila Karki.

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