2026 Nepalese general election
5 March 2026
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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
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 | |
| 21 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 |
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.[9] 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.[10] Nepal uses the Webster method to allocate proportional seats.[11]
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.[12]
Eligibility to vote
To vote in the general election, one must be:[12]
- 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
Electoral alliance and parties
The Election Commission called political parties seeking to contest the elections scheduled for 5 March, 2026 to be registered within 26 November 2025. Several new parties applied for registration to participate in elections which claimed to represent "Gen-Z protesters" involved in the ousting of the K. P. Sharma Oli-led government.[13][14]
Nepali Congress+
| Party[15] | Symbol | Leader | Leader's Seat | Seats contested | Male candidates | Female candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepali Congress | Purna Bahadur Khadka | TBD | |||||
CPN (UML)+
| Party[16] | Symbol | Leader | Leader's Seat | Seats contested | Male candidates | Female candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPN (UML) | KP Sharma Oli | TBD | |||||
PSP+
| Party[17][18] | Symbol | Leader | Leader's Seat | Seats contested | Male candidates | Female candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People's Socialist Party | Ashok Rai | TBD | |||||
| Nagrik Unmukti Party, Nepal | Resham Lal Chaudhary | TBD | |||||
| Rastriya Mukti Party Nepal | Rajendra Mahato | TBD | |||||
UNP+
| Party[19][20] | Symbol | Leader | Leader's Seat | Seats contested | Male candidates | Female candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ujyaalo Nepal | Kulman ghising | TBD | |||||
| Hamro Party | Khagendra Sunar | TBD | |||||
Other parties
| Party | Symbol | Leader | Leader's Seat | Seats contested | Male candidates | Female candidates | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepali Communist Party | Pushpa Kamal Dahal | TBD | |||||
| Rastriya Swatantra Party | Rabi Lamichhane | TBD | |||||
| Rastriya Prajatantra Party | Rajendra Prasad Lingden | TBD | |||||
| Janamat Party | C. K. Raut | TBD | |||||
| People's Socialist Party, Nepal | Upendra Yadav | TBD | |||||
| Loktantrik Samajwadi | Mahantha Thakur | TBD | |||||
| Nepal Workers Peasants Party | Narayan Man Bijukchhe | TBD | |||||
| Rastriya Janamorcha | Chitra Bahadur K.C. | TBD | |||||
| Aam Janata Party | Prabhu Sah | TBD | |||||
| New formations | |||||||
| Party | Symbol | Leader | Leader's Seat | Seats contested | Male candidates | Female candidates | |
| Pragatisheel Loktantrik | Janardan Sharma | TBD | |||||
| CPN (Maoist) | Biplav | TBD | |||||
| CPN (United) | Ghanashyam Bhusal | TBD | |||||
| Shram Sanskriti | Harka Sampang | TBD | |||||
| Nepal Sadhbhawana | Anil Kumar Jha | TBD | |||||
| Rastriya Urjasheel Party Nepal | Yogendra Mandal | TBH | |||||
| Gatishil Loktantrik Party | Birendra Bahadur Basnet | TBD | |||||
Candidates
Koshi Province
| District | Constituency | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congress | CPN (UML) | NCP | SSP | UNP | RPP | PSP+ | PLP | ||||
| Taplejung | Taplejung 1 | Gajendra Prasad Tumyahang | |||||||||
| Panchthar | Panchthar 1 | Prof. Dr. Mahendra Sundar Lawati | |||||||||
| Ilam | Ilam 1 | ||||||||||
| Ilam 2 | Dekendra Singh Thegim | ||||||||||
| Jhapa | Jhapa 1 | Bishwa Prakash Sharma | |||||||||
| Jhapa 2 | |||||||||||
| Jhapa 3 | Rajendra Prasad Lingden | ||||||||||
| Jhapa 4 | |||||||||||
| Jhapa 5 | K. P. Sharma Oli | ||||||||||
| Sankhuwasabha | Sankhuwasabha 1 | ||||||||||
| Tehrathum | Tehrathum 1 | ||||||||||
| Bhojpur | Bhojpur 1 | Sudan Kirati | |||||||||
| Dhankuta | Dhankuta 1 | ||||||||||
| Morang | Morang 1 | ||||||||||
| Morang 2 | Minendra Rijal | ||||||||||
| Morang 3 | Sunil Kumar Sharma | ||||||||||
| Morang 4 | |||||||||||
| Morang 5 | |||||||||||
| Morang 6 | Shekhar Koirala | ||||||||||
| Sunsari | Sunsari 1 | Harka Sampang | PSP-N | Ashok Rai | |||||||
| Sunsari 2 | |||||||||||
| Sunsari 3 | |||||||||||
| Sunsari 4 | |||||||||||
| Solukhumbu | Solukhumbu 1 | ||||||||||
| Khotang | Khotang 1 | ||||||||||
| Okhaldhunga | Okhaldhunga 1 | ||||||||||
| Udayapur | Udayapur 1 | ||||||||||
| Udayapur 2 | |||||||||||
Madhesh Province
Bagmati Province
Gandaki Province
Lumbini Province
Karnali Province
| District | Constituency | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congress | CPN (UML) | NCP | PLP | RPP | ||
| Salyan | Salyan 1 | |||||
| Dolpa | Dolpa 1 | Karna Bahadur Budha | ||||
| Mugu | Mugu 1 | |||||
| Jumla | Jumla 1 | |||||
| Kalikot | Kalikot 1 | |||||
| Humla | Humla 1 | |||||
| Jajarkot | Jajarkot 1 | |||||
| Dailekh | Dailekh 1 | |||||
| Dailekh 2 | ||||||
| Surkhet | Surkhet 1 | Purna Bahadur Khadka | ||||
| Surkhet 2 | ||||||
| Western Rukum | Western Rukum 1 | Janardan Sharma |
Sudurpashchim Province
See also
Notes
- ^ a b When Nepal was subdivided into 7 provinces in 2015, the area in Nawalparasi District was split into 2 districts in different provinces. Nawalpur District (or Nawalparasi (East of Bardaghat Susta) district) went to Gandaki Province, while Nawalparasi (West of Bardaghat Susta) district (or Nawalpur District) went to Lumbini Province.[21]
References
- ^ "President dissolves HoR, elections on March 5, 2026". myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com. 2024-08-08. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ^ "Nepal sets March 5 vote, restrictions eased as interim gov't takes charge". Al Jazeera. 2025-09-13. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ^ "EC begins preliminary preparations for March elections". The Himalayan Times. 2025-09-16. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
- ^ "Parties' Mission 84 Gimmick Or Genuine Campaign?". The Rising Nepal. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 2024-08-12.
- ^ Daha, Phanindra; Atkinson, Emily; Khan, Iftikhar (2025-09-10). "Why GenZ has taken over the streets in Nepal". BBC. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Sharma, Gopal; Ahmed, Aftab (2025-09-13). "Nepal sets March elections after naming interim prime minister". Reuters. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ^ Article 84 Constitution of Nepal
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "17 new political parties apply for registration at Nepal's Election Commission". The Hindu. PTI. 2025-10-31. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ "52,865 new voters registered with EC for 2026 polls". GorakhaPatra. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
- ^ "NC registers party to contest National Assembly and House of Representatives elections". Setopati. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
- ^ "CPN-UML registers for House of Representatives Election". OnlineKhabar English News. 2025-11-25. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
- ^ "Ashok Rai, Resham Chaudhary, Rajendra Mahato agree to contest elections under one symbol". Setopati. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
- ^ "JSP, Rastriya Mukti, and NUPA Nepal to contest elections together with Jato (Nepali stone grinder) symbol". Khabarhub. Retrieved 2025-11-25.
- ^ "खगेन्द्र सुनारकाे 'हाम्राे पार्टी नेपाल'ले कुलमानकै पार्टीकाे चिह्नबाट चुनाव लड्ने". Naya Patrika. Retrieved 2025-11-26.
- ^ "उनेपा र हापाने एउटै चुनाव चिह्नमा लड्ने". ekantipur.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2025-11-26.
- ^ "पूर्वी नवलपरासीको नाम 'नवलपुर जिल्ला' र सदरमुकाम कावासोतीमा राख्ने निर्णय" (in Nepali). Kantipur (daily). 22 September 2017. Archived from the original on 2 May 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
