Nepal Heads to the Polls in First Election Since Youth-Led Uprising

Millions of voters in Nepal have cast their ballots in the country’s first general election since violent youth-led protests toppled the government last September.

The demonstrations, driven largely by members of Generation Z, erupted over widespread concerns about corruption, economic stagnation and social inequality. The unrest turned deadly, with 77 people killed during clashes, many of them protesters shot by police.

The election is widely viewed as a turning point for Nepal’s political future, as established political figures compete against a younger generation of leaders seeking to channel the frustrations of Gen Z voters demanding sweeping reforms.

Votes are being counted for all 275 seats in the country’s parliament, the House of Representatives of Nepal. Officials say the process could take several days, with final results not expected until next week.

Counting is particularly slow due to Nepal’s rugged mountainous terrain, which makes transporting ballot boxes difficult. In addition, votes are counted manually across many districts.

Nearly 19 million people were registered to vote in the 5 March election, including close to one million first-time voters. The Election Commission of Nepal said shortly after polls closed that turnout was expected to reach about 60%.

Despite the country’s tense political climate, voting was largely peaceful. Security forces were heavily deployed nationwide to prevent unrest.

Among the leading figures in the race is former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, who was removed from office during last year’s protests. He is representing the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and has insisted the protests were not a rejection of his leadership.

Another major contender is Balen Shah, a former rapper who stepped down as mayor of Kathmandu in January to challenge Oli in the closely watched Jhapa 5 constituency. Shah is running under the banner of the Rastriya Swatantra Party.

Shah avoided direct interaction with journalists on Thursday, appearing briefly in his trademark black sunglasses before moving through a crowd of reporters without comment. Some members of Nepal’s media fear this approach could continue if he were elected to national office.

However, many younger voters say Shah’s energy and outsider status represent the kind of leadership Nepal needs, seeing him as a symbol of political renewal.

Meanwhile, Gagan Thapa of the Nepali Congress said the country’s youth are increasingly frustrated with what he described as “unholy alliances” and poor governance in previous coalition governments. He said his party is paying close attention to the demands of younger voters.

Not everyone is convinced that the election will bring meaningful change. Rakshya Bam, a prominent Gen Z activist involved in last year’s movement, expressed skepticism.

“They want to sell the name of Gen Z and come into power so they are using the term Gen Z movement,” she said. “I don’t have much expectations from the elections.”