Nepal Election Result 2026 Live: Nepalese police guard ballot boxes before being taken away for counting at polling station for the parliamentary election in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo)Nepal Election Result 2026 Highlights: Nepal recorded a voter turnout of 60 per cent by 5 pm, the Election Commission announced on Thursday, BBC reported. Around 19 million registered voters cast their votes in the country’s first general elections since youth-led violent protests forced the resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and triggered the dissolution of Parliament. Voting remained largely peaceful amid tight security across Nepal, however, a few minor incidents were reported at some polling stations.
The counting of votes will begin immediately after the ballot boxes are collected. This process of collecting ballot boxes from across the mountainous country and delivering them to counting centres typically takes at least a day. Ram Prasad Bhandari, the chief election commissioner, told BBC he is committed to finish counting by 9 March.
Main contenders: The elections are being widely viewed as a contest between traditional political forces and a new generation of leaders advocating systemic reform. The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), led by K P Sharma Oli, and the Nepali Communist Party led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ are being regarded as traditional forces. On the other side, the Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP), led by Ravi Lamichhane with senior leader Balendra Shah, and the reformed Nepali Congress under Gagan Thapa have publicly voiced support for the issues raised by the youth movement.
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) president Rabi Lamichhane is leading the early vote count in Chitwan-2 in Nepal’s House of Representatives elections.
According to preliminary tallies, Lamichhane has secured 3,963 votes, ahead of CPN-UML candidate Ashim Ghimire, who has polled 1,947 votes, and Nepali Congress candidate Meena Kumari Kharel, who has received 1,750 votes.
Counting is underway and the figures may change as more ballots are counted.
Nepal recorded a voter turnout of 60 per cent by 5 pm, the Election Commission announced on Thursday, BBC reported.
Around 19 million registered voters cast their votes in the country’s first general elections since youth-led violent protests forced the resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and triggered the dissolution of Parliament.
Voting remained largely peaceful amid tight security across Nepal, however, a few minor incidents were reported at some polling stations.
Police carry a ballot box to a vehicle for transport to a counting center after voting ended at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, March 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Ballot boxes from remote mountainous terrain will be transported by Nepali Army helicopters.
Taplejung, Rasuwa, Dolakha and Rukum East have arranged their air transportation for Thursday, and on Friday Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Manang, Humla, Rukum West and Bajura will have their transportation.
(The Himalayan)
As per the BBC report, the counting is expected to begin today in some districts and in the rest tomorrow morning.
Sankhuwasabha, Solukhumbu, Gorkha, West Rukum, Manang, Bajura, and Humla will receive their ballot boxes on Friday, said the election commission.
According to the legal provision, the counting of votes begins once all party representatives and candidates agree.
(BBC)
In the Kathmandu Valley, police have held 830 vehicles after driving without permits during the elections.
A total of 2,587 vehicles are said to be held by the police in Nepal, as per a BBC report.
(BBC)
24 people were reported to be arrested on the election day following anti-election activity allegations, said Nepal Police spokesperson Abinarayan Kafle.
Bagmati Province saw the highest number of arrests, with seven people taken into custody.
Lumbini, Karnali, and Kathmandu Valley had one arrest.
Three people were arrested from Koshi and Gandaki provinces. Sudurpaschim and Madhesh Province got four arrested from each province.
(BBC)
10 House of Representatives constituencies in Kathmandu are preparing to begin the vote counting.
(Kathmandu Post)
After a peaceful House of Representatives (HoR) election, Nepal prepares for the vote-counting process. Kathmandu chief returning officer Churaman Khadka said vote counting will begin as soon as all the ballot boxes are collected at the respective election offices.
(Kathmandu Post)
Nearly 19 million voters are choosing members of the 275-seat House of Representatives.
Expressing gratitude, Nepali Communist Party (NCP) coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal took to his social account and said the high participation rate in the election showed the belief in the Federal Democratic Republic system.
Nepal election results are expected to be announced this weekend. The wait is for all the ballot boxes from polling stations across the country to reach the administration. Helicopters are said to be used to move boxes from remote northern mountain ranges.
The major challenge for the next government is to deliver all the demands that the September protests sought. Corruption and maintaining ties with its neighbours India and China might be two areas that the next administration might inherit.
(AP)
Out of the 19 million registered voters, Nepal saw a voter turnout of 60 percent, said the Nepal Election Commission.
The polling stations saw a peaceful voting session, except Dolakha district, which was subdued as soon as it began. Many people were reported to boycott the election; some walked hours outside polling stations.
(BBC)
Sushila Karki, while speaking to BBC Nepal, said, "Let's see what kind of government will be formed, whether there will be a coalition or a single-party government."
She said she will try for a quick handover and was happy with an election without any bloodshed.
(BBC)
Former Prime Minister of Nepal, Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, who was forced to resign by the youth-led protest, said that he is confident that he will win and also that his party will win.
"I am confident that I will win and my party will also win," said KP Sharma Oli
Oli said, 'Except for one small interruption in Okhaldunga, a peaceful atmospheric election is going on throughout the country."
(BBC)
Nepal now awaits the total voter turnout that took place on Thursday, March 5, 2026. A total of 19 million voters were registered for the 2026 House of Representatives elections.
The final vote results can be expected once all the ballots are gathered, which are not expected for days due to the country's terrain.
(BBC)
Polling is officially closed, and now the people of Nepal await the results.
As the patrons of the Constitution, the President and Vice President of Nepal did not cast their vote in the House of Representatives (HoR) elections 2026.
Both President Ramchandra Paudel and Vice President Ram Sahaya Parsad Yadav refrained from voting in order to maintain constitutional neutrality.
(The Himalayan)
Former President Dr Ram Baran Yadav, after casting his vote, said that voters should choose a democratic force that will help defend the Constitution and address the necessities of the nation and its citizens.
The 2026 election is being held two years early, and Yadav asked voters to exercise the right with utmost consciousness. "We are on the election mission amidst an adverse situation in the country. " I hope the election concludes in a peaceful atmosphere and that the people's mandate helps establish stability in the nation," said Yadav, as quoted by The Himalayan.
Dr Ram Baran Yadav served as the first president of Nepal following the republic declaration in 2008, from July 23, 2008, to October 19, 2015.
(The Himalayan)
People standing in a queue to cast their vote at a polling station for the parliamentary election in Kathmandu.
(AP Photo)
As Nepal polls continue, the Dolpa district and Mustang district saw a 50 per cent turnout, as per the Kathmandu Post, by 2 pm. The Jumla district saw a 40.74 per cent turnout, and the Bajura district had a 42 per cent turnout. Makwanpur district and Kavrepalanchok district saw approximately 34 and 37 per cent, respectively.
(Kathmandu Post)
Nepali Congress party President Gagan Thapa said that they want to use the next five years' time to clean politics.
"The Nepali Congress party, through a special convention, has already expressed that we stand with you, we hear you and we want to own your voices so that we stand for changes," said Thapa.
The party president addressed the young people's frustration over poor delivery and governance accompanied by unholy alliances. He claimed that this election will bring an end to all the previous corrupt practices.
(BBC)
66 inmates and two staff members cast their votes at Saptari prison. The voting began at 7 am and concluded by 11 am. The staff members were the presiding officer and the assistant presiding officer at the Saptari Prison.
"We have sealed the ballot boxes; they will be taken to the office of the chief returning officer after 5 pm," said Saptari prison chief Rupak Mandal, as quoted by Kathmandu Post.
While the prison has around 391 inmates, the voter list sent by the Election Commission consisted only of 69 inmates.
(Kathmandu Post)
Nepal which went to polls on Thursday, the first since a violent Gen Z protest that toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led government last year, recorded a turnout of about 18 per cent till noon, according to the Election Commission.
The Election Commission said that around 3.16 million people have exercised their franchise till 12 pm, with the voting process going smoothly.
Voting is ongoing smoothly across the country with minor incidents in a very few places, Election Commissioner Sagun Shumsher Rana was quoted as saying by the Kathmandu Post. — PTI
Former Prime Minister of Nepal, KP Sharma Oli, cast his vote Thursday at a polling station in Bhaktapur for the General Elections 2026, BBC reported.
Watch:
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js#watch | Nepal: Former Prime Minister and Prime Ministerial Candidate of Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML), KP Sharma Oli casts his vote at a Polling Station in Bhaktapur, for Nepal's General Elections 2026. pic.twitter.com/4q3YpZCIYh
— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2026
Nepal recorded a turnout of about 18 per cent till noon, the Election Commission stated on Thursday.
The Election Commission said that around 3.16 million people have exercised their franchise till 12 pm, with the voting process going smoothly, news agency PTI quoted.
More than 3.1 million votes have been cast in Nepal, as of 12 pm, according to the Election Commission.
That accounts for over 15% of the total registered voters. (BBC)
After casting his vote in Kathmandu on Thursday, Prime Ministerial candidate Balendra Shah aka Balen tried to fly to his constituency Jhapa 5.
However, he could not land due to an "operational requirement", a spokesperson for Tribhuvan International airport in Kathmandu told BBC Nepali, without elaborating on the details.
He said the helicopter had to turn back to Kathmandu. After being in the air for about an hour, Balen Shah has now landed in the Capital, BBC reported.
Nearly 23 per cent of voters have casted their ballot in Jhapa 5, as of 10 am (local Nepal time), Bidur Kumar Karki, the election officer of the constituency told BBC.
"We visited a dozen polling stations. People are participating enthusiastically,” he said. “There are more senior citizens at the polling stations. There are also young people who have came to vote.” Prime ministerial candidate Balendra Shah is contesting from the Jhapa 5 constituency.
Meanwhile, polls in Sarlahi district, from where Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa is contesting, is also peaceful, election official Binod Prasad Ghimire told BBC.
The Election Commission in Nepal Thursday said that more than one million people have voted as of 10:00 local time (04:15 GMT). This is nearly 6 per cent of the total 19 million people registered to vote.
Ram Prasad Bhandari, the chief election commissioner, said he expects voter turnout of above 65% and that he is committed to finish counting by March 9, 2026, BBC reported.
Shots were fired after the situation became tense at a polling station in Dolakha district, east of Kathmandu, officials told BBC.
Following the assault of an election worker at Malu polling station, police fired the shots” Dolakha’s Assistant Chief District Officer Aulakh Bahadur Ale told BBC Nepali.
“Voting was disrupted for a while after the situation became uncomfortable. Voting has now resumed,” Ale said. (BBC)
Nepal’s interim foreign minister, Balananda Sharma, in a conversation with BBC Nepali, said, “keeping democracy alive in this election is extremely important”.
“The country, the political parties and the people have now come together. This election will give us a result,” Sharma told BBC on the eve of the elections. “If we don’t find a way out ourselves, nobody will come to support us.”
He said that if a single party could not win, he hoped two or more parties would come together in national interest and put their own party interests to one side. “If they work hard, I think we will find a solution because we have already suffered a lot.” (BBC)
Traditional forces: Oli, at the time, was heading a coalition government with the backing of Nepali Congress that enjoyed nearly two-thirds majority support. In these elections, the CPN-UML, being led by Oli, has emerged as the "hardliner force," as PTI puts it.
Voicing Gen Z concerns: Meanwhile, former premier Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'-led NCP claims to have addressed the issues raised by the Gen Z. However, they have not handed over the party leadership to the younger generation.
Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP), led by its chair Ravi Lamichhane and senior leader Balendra Shah, and the reformed Nepali Congress, led by Gagan Thapa, are also voicing the issues raised by the Gen Z.
Other candidates: Ujyalo Nepal Party, led by Kulman Ghising, and Shram Shakti Party, led by former Dharan Mayor Harka Sampang, enjoy support in limited pockets only.
On September 8 and 9 last year, the Gen-Z youth, held intensified protests across Nepal, ousting the then Prime Minister and chair of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) K P Sharma Oli.
After Oli's ouster, President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives (HoR) on September 12 and appointed Sushila Karki as the interim prime minister.
Among the major issues raised by Gen Z are anti-corruption, good governance, end to nepotism, generational change in political leadership, PTI highlighted.
(- with inputs from PTI)
As voters head to the polls on Thursday, an election officer has a special mission: to prove that women can run polling stations as well as their male counterparts, BBC reported.
Radhika Suwal, the election officer in the Bhaktapur 2 constituency, told BBC that four polling stations in the Madhyapur Thimi municipality are being staffed entirely by women today.
The security personnel guarding it are also women, she said, adding that "this will become a model polling station". (BBC)
Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa Thursday cast his vote from Kathmandu-4 constituency in Maitidevi, according to a PTI report.
"This election was needed to bring the Constitution back on the right track," he said.
Thapa, the prime ministerial candidate of Nepali Congress, is contesting the election from Dhanusha-4 constituency. (PTI)
Nepal has recorded a turnout of about six per cent till 9.30 am, according to the Election Commission, news agency PTI reported.
Voting is ongoing smoothly across the country amid tight security. The counting will start immediately after the ballot boxes are collected.
Voting is ongoing smoothly across the country with minor incidents in a very few places, Election Commissioner Sagun Shumsher Rana said, as quoted by the Kathmandu Post.
Nepal Police confirmed that apart from minor disagreements at a few locations, no serious problems had occurred.
Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said, "Some jostling is expected during elections, but no major issues have arisen. We are ensuring that the voting process remains peaceful throughout the day." (PTI)
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) prime ministerial candidate and former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah cast his vote in the Nepal general elections, at a polling station in Kathmandu, PTI reported.
Watch video:
Sushila Karki, the interim prime minister of Nepal, cast her vote in Kathmandu on Thursday, BBC reported.
The 73-year-old former chief justice was appointed the country's interim leader last September, after days of youth-led anti-corruption protests ousted the government.
Ahead of the elections today, Karki urged people to cast their votes, saying it's only with everyone's participation that "our democracy will survive". (BBC)
The general elections in Nepal are being widely viewed as a contest between traditional political forces and a new generation of leaders advocating systemic reform.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), led by K P Sharma Oli, and the Nepali Communist Party led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ are being regarded as traditional forces.
On the other side, the Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP), led by Ravi Lamichhane with senior leader Balendra Shah, and the reformed Nepali Congress under Gagan Thapa have publicly voiced support for the issues raised by the youth movement.
Other emerging players include the Ujyalo Nepal Party led by Kulman Ghising and the Shram Shakti Party led by former Dharan Mayor Harka Sampang, though their influence remains limited to certain regions.
Voting is currently underway for Nepal’s first general elections since youth-led violent protests forced the resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and triggered the dissolution of Parliament.
Polling began at 7 am on Thursday, and will continue till 5 pm, with as many as 18.9 million voters expected to cast their ballots.
The voters will elect members to the 275-seat House of Representatives (HoR), out of which, 165 will be decided through direct voting, while 110 will be allocated under the proportional representation system.
According to the Election Commission, 3,406 candidates are contesting under the direct voting system, and 3,135 candidates are vying for seats under proportional representation.
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