Nepal election: Voting concludes with preliminary turnout around 60%

Nepal voted on Thursday (March 5, 2026) in its first election since September last year’s Gen Z protests, with preliminary estimates suggesting a turnout of 60%.

“Our preliminary assessment is that around 60% of votes were cast,” said Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari during a press conference on Thursday evening (March 5, 2026) , after polls closed at 5 p.m.

Polling began at 7 a.m. across all 77 districts to elect a 275-member House of Representatives — 165 under the first-past-the-post system and 110 under the proportional representation system. The Election Commission said voting concluded peacefully, except for some sporadic incidents in a few locations.

More than 18.9 million Nepalis were eligible to vote, with around 1 million added to the rolls since September’s protests, which claimed 77 lives.

The protests, spurred by demands for jobs, clean governance, and accountability, led to the fall of K.P. Sharma Oli’s government. An interim government was formed on September 12, led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, and Parliament was dissolved. Fresh elections were announced for March 5.

There had been doubts about whether the election would take place on schedule. Mr. Oli repeatedly criticised the Gen Z protests, calling them a “counter-revolution,” and his party challenged the House dissolution in the Supreme Court. Government insiders said it took multiple rounds of talks to bring the parties, especially the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), to the ballot.

As voting began, Ms. Karki thanked election officials, security personnel, and others for ensuring the election went ahead on time. “The beauty of democracy is people’s participation. I would like to urge all voters to reach their polling booths and cast their ballots,” she said.

People began gathering at polling booths early in the morning.

The Election Commission had set up 23,112 polling centres at 10,963 polling stations across 77 districts.

Potential PM candidate

Balendra Shah, senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), is widely billed as the next Prime Minister if he defeats Mr. Oli in Jhapa-5, and if the party secures a majority or emerges as the single largest party.

After polls closed, Mr. Shah posted on Facebook, writing: “Because of you, democracy has won today.”

Mr. Shah had endorsed Ms. Karki as Prime Minister of the interim government after Mr. Oli resigned, while youth debated leadership options online during the political vacuum.

Though Mr. Shah was not directly involved in the protests, he supported them and urged protesters to negotiate with the Nepal Army after the House was dissolved.

Thursday’s election is expected to restore the constitutional process.

While the RSP experienced a groundswell in the lead-up to the election, with “change” as the rallying cry, analysts say a majority for any single party could be difficult. In that case, a hung Parliament — and coalition government — is the most probable outcome.

It could take days, if not weeks, for final results. The Election Commission said it will release first-past-the-post results within 24 hours of counting, while proportional representation results will take longer to tally nationwide vote shares.

The 60% turnout resembles previous elections. In the two general elections held after the promulgation of the Constitution – in 2017 and 2022 – turnout stood at 68.7% and 61.4%, respectively.

The 2013 Constituent Assembly elections recorded the highest turnout at 78.3%, while the 2008 election to choose the first Constituent Assembly saw a turnout of 61.7%.

Candidates voting outside constituencies

Some key figures of Nepali politics had to vote outside their constituencies. At the top of the list is Mr. Oli, a candidate from Jhapa-5 in the east. Since he is registered in Bhaktapur, near Kathmandu, he cast his vote in Balkot.

Mr. Shah, who was born and raised in Kathmandu, is contesting from Jhapa-5, Mr. Oli’s constituency. He cast his ballot in Kathmandu-2. Nepali Congress’s newly-elected president Gagan Thapa also voted in Kathmandu, while contesting from Sarlahi-4, a constituency bordering India.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party, voted from Chitwan-3, though he is contesting from Rukum-1, a Maoist stronghold during the decade-long insurgency he led from 1996 to 2006. RSP chief Rabi Lamichhane voted from Kathmandu-3 while running from Chitwan-2.

Also read: Nepal’s March 5 vote: Waves, coalitions, and the new guard on the cards

Conspicuous by absence

Former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba was conspicuous by his absence.

Mr. Deuba left for Singapore for “regular treatment” on February 25, with no clarity on whether he would return in time to cast his vote.

The 79-year-old five-time Prime Minister was ousted as Nepali Congress president in January through the party’s special convention, which elected Gagan Thapa as the new party president.

On the second day of the youth-led protests, September 9, Mr. Deuba and his wife Arzu Deuba were manhandled by demonstrators at their home.

After not receiving a ticket in this election, Mr. Deuba — who has won all seven elections he contested since 1990 — has avoided public appearances and did not participate in the Congress’s election campaign.

Mr. Deuba has been a key figure in Nepal’s revolving-door politics since 1990.

Published – March 05, 2026 11:12 pm IST