2026 Nepalese general election

2026 Nepalese general election

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All 275 seats in the House of Representatives 138 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Purna Bahadur Khadka K. P. Sharma Oli Pushpa Kamal Dahal Party Congress CPN (UML) Maoist Centre Last election 25.71%, 89 seats 26.95%, 78 seats 11.13%, 32 seats Seats before 88 78 32   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Rabi Lamichhane Rajendra Lingden Madhav Kumar Nepal Party RSP RPP Unified Socialist Last election 10.70%, 20 seats 5.58%, 14 seats 2.83%, 10 seats Seats before 21 14 10   Seventh party   Leader Ashok Rai Party PSP Last election New Party Seats before 7
Prime Minister before election Sushila Karki (interim) Independent Elected Prime Minister TBD

Early general elections are expected to be held in Nepal on 5 March 2026 to elect the 275 members of the House of Representatives as announced on 12 September 2025 by the President of Nepal, on the recommendation of Government of Nepal. ^{[1] [2] [3]}

There remains two ballots in the election: one to elect 165 members from single-member constituencies via FPTP, and the other to elect the remaining 110 members from a single nation-wide constituency via party-list proportional representation, as mentioned in the Constitution of Nepal. ^[4]

Background

Further information: 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests

On 8 September 2025, large-scale protests and demonstrations took place across Nepal, predominantly organized by students and young citizens. ^[5] On 12 September 2025, the Federal Parliament of Nepal was dissolved and Sushila Karki was sworn in as interim Prime Minister. ^{[6] [7]} President Ram Chandra Poudel announced that elections would be held on 5 March 2026. ^[8] The elections were scheduled to have taken place any time before November 2027.

Timetable

The key dates are listed below:

6 October 2025	Legislature parliament dissolved
	Cabinet announces election date
16 November 2025	Last date to register to be on electoral roll
26 November 2025	Last day for party registration at Election Commission
2-3 January 2026	Parties submit preliminary closed list for proportional representation
TBD	Election code of conduct starts
TBD	Candidate nomination for first past the post
TBD	Closed list for proportional representation finalized and published
5 March 2026	Election day [9]

Electoral system

The 275 members of the legislature are elected by two methods; 165 are elected from single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting and 110 seats are elected by closed list proportional representation from a single nationwide constituency. ^[10] Voters receive separate ballot papers for the two methods. A party or electoral alliance has to pass the election threshold of 3% of the overall valid vote to be allocated a seat in the proportional vote. ^[11] Nepal uses the Webster method to allocate proportional seats. ^[12]

Voting is limited to Nepali citizens aged 18 or over of sound mind and not having been declared ineligible under federal election fraud and punishment laws. ^[13]

Eligibility to vote

To vote in the general election, one must be: ^[13]

• on the electoral roll
• aged 18 or over on final date of registration of voter id
• a citizen of Nepal
• of sound mind
• not ineligible as per federal election fraud and punishment laws

Pre-election arrangements

Party		Ideology	2022 results		At dissolution
			PR Votes (%)	Seats
	Nepali Congress	Social democracy Third Way	25.71	89 / 275	88 / 275
	CPN (UML)	Marxism–Leninism People's Multiparty Democracy	26.95	78 / 275	79 / 275
	CPN (Maoist Centre)	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism–Prachanda Path	11.13	32 / 275	32 / 275
	Rastriya Swatantra Party	Populism Economic liberalism	10.70	20 / 275	21 / 275
	Rastriya Prajatantra Party	Constitutional monarchism Economic liberalism Hindu nationalism	5.58	14 / 275	13 / 275
	CPN (Unified Socialist)	Marxism–Leninism People's Multiparty Democracy	2.83	10 / 275	10 / 275
	People's Socialist Party	Democratic socialism Secularism	New party		7 / 275
	Janamat Party	Social democracy Regionalism Madheshi rights	3.74	6 / 275	6 / 275
	People's Socialist Party, Nepal	Democratic socialism Secularism Regionalism	3.99	12 / 275	5 / 275
	Loktantrik Samajwadi	Social democracy Madheshi rights	1.58	4 / 275	4 / 275
	Nagrik Unmukti Party	Regionalism Social democracy Tharu minority interests	2.57	3 / 275	4 / 275
	Nepal Workers Peasants Party	Marxism–Leninism	0.71	1 / 275	1 / 275
	Rastriya Janamorcha	Anti-federalism Communism Marxism–Leninism	0.44	1 / 275	1 / 275
	Aam Janata Party	Marxism–Leninism–Maoism	New party		1 / 275
	Independent	—	—	4 / 275	2 / 275

Electoral alliance and parties

National parties

Party		Symbol	Leader	Leader's Seat	Seats contested	Male candidates	Female candidates
	Nepali Congress		Purna Bahadur Khadka	TBD
	CPN (UML)		KP Sharma Oli	TBD
	CPN (Maoist Centre)		Pushpa Kamal Dahal	TBD
	Rastriya Swatantra Party		Rabi Lamichhane	TBD
	Rastriya Prajatantra Party		Rajendra Prasad Lingden	TBD
	People's Socialist Party		Ashok Rai	TBD
	Janamat Party		C. K. Raut	TBD
	People's Socialist Party, Nepal		Upendra Yadav	TBD

Other parties

Party		Symbol	Leader	Leader's Seat	Seats contested	Male candidates	Female candidates
	CPN (Unified Socialist)		Madhav Kumar Nepal	TBD
	Loktantrik Samajwadi		Mahantha Thakur	TBD
	Nagrik Unmukti Party		Ranjeeta Shrestha	TBD
	Rastriya Janamorcha		Chitra Bahadur K.C.	TBD
	Nepal Workers Peasants Party		Narayan Man Bijukchhe	TBD
	Janaswaraj Party		Dipak Kumar Sah	TBD
	Aam Janata Party		Prabhu Sah	TBD
	Bibeksheel Sajha Party		Samikchya Baskota	TBD
	Shram Sanskriti Party		Harka Sampang	TBD
	Gatishil Loktantrik Party		Birendra Bahadur Basnet	TBD

References

1. "प्रतिनिधिसभा विघटन, फागुन २१ गते चुनाव घोषणा" [Dissolution of the House of Representatives, elections announced for Falgun 21]. Online Khabar (in Nepali). Retrieved 2025-09-12.
2. "प्रतिनिधिसभा विघटन, फागुन २१ गते चुनाव घोषणा" [Dissolution of the House of Representatives, elections announced for Falgun 21]. Annapurna Post (in Nepali). Retrieved 2025-09-12.
3. "प्रधानमन्त्री सुशीला कार्कीले गरिन् संसद् विघटनको सिफारिस, फागुन २१ गते प्रतिनिधि सभाको निर्वाचन" [Prime Minister Sushila Karki recommends dissolution of Parliament, House of Representatives elections on Falgun 21]. eKantipur (in Nepali). Retrieved 2025-09-12.
4. "Parties' Mission 84 Gimmick Or Genuine Campaign?". The Rising Nepal . 5 December 2023. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
5. Daha, Phanindra; Atkinson, Emily; Khan, Iftikhar (2025-09-10). "Why GenZ has taken over the streets in Nepal". BBC. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
6. "Sushila Karki appointed Prime Minister under Article 61, becomes Nepal's first female head of government". Online Khabar. 12 September 2025. Retrieved 12 September 2025.
7. Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (12 September 2025). "Nepal appoints its first female PM after historic week of deadly protests". The Guardian . ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 12 September 2025.
8. Sharma, Gopal; Ahmed, Aftab (2025-09-13). "Nepal sets March elections after naming interim prime minister". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
9. "Nepal to hold general election on November 20". ANI News. Retrieved 2022-08-04.
10. Article 84 Constitution of Nepal
11. Kafle, Narayn (5 September 2017). "स‌ंसद् र प्रदेशको निर्वाचन विधेयक पारित" [Parliament and provincial election bills passed]. Gorkhapatra (in Nepali). Archived from the original on 2017-09-06. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
12. प्रतिनिधि सभा सदस्य निर्वाचन ऐन, २०७४ [House of Representatives Member Election Act, 2017](PDF) (Act, Schedule 2) (in Nepali). Legislature Parliament of Nepal. 7 September 2017. p. 42.
13. Electoral Roll Act, 2017 (PDF) (Act 23, section 6 & 23) (in Nepali). 2 February 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.