Nepal Votes in Landmark Election After Gen Z Protests Toppled Government

Nepal elections 2026 Voting Live Updates: Nepal is voting today in a general election, the first after Gen Z protests last year against corruption led to the deaths of 77 People and forced the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led government to resign.

This, however , was not the first time street power reshaped the Himalayan nation’s political landscape. Long before TikTok and viral street protests, it was the April 2006 People’s Movement, known as Jana Andolan II, that brought an end to 240 years of monarchy.

Two decades ago, there were massive rallies and nationwide strikes in Nepal after King Gyanendra took direct control of the country in February 2005, dismissing the government and suspending civil liberties. He imposed a state of emergency.

Nepal’s mountainous terrain makes ballot transport slow and difficult, and ballots are tallied by hand.

Nearly 19 million people, including almost a million first-time voters, were registered to take part in the 5 March ballot for the House of Representatives. The Election Commission, speaking shortly after polls closed, said it expected voter turnout to be around 60%.

Voting was largely peaceful, and there was a huge security presence across the country.

The leader of the Nepali Congress, Gagan Thapa, believes younger voters are tired of “unholy alliances” and “poor governance” in previous coalitions, and that the party is listening to Gen Z voters.

Rakshya Bam –  one of Nepal’s Gen Z leaders – was largely unimpressed.

“I think none of the parties have incorporated the manifestos,” she told the BBC ahead of the vote.

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

Ispa Sapkota, who spoke to the BBC as she cast her ballot in Kathmandu, said she protested in September to “end corruption” and restore “political stability” in Nepal.

“We want a better nation,” she says. “When others and I search for jobs, we’re not able to get any here. Brain drain is becoming the most important problem in our country.”

Also Read / Generation Z Rising: Rapper-Turned-Mayor Balen Shah Enters Race for Nepal’s Prime Minister.