Nepal Votes in High-Stakes Election After Gen Z Uprising Shakes Political Old Guard

Nearly 19 million Nepalis vote on March 5 in a high-stakes election following the 2025 youth uprising,Can rapper Balen Shah and reformer Gagan Thapa unseat the old guard?

Staff Reporter

Mar 3, 2026, 08:25 AM2 min read

Nepal Votes in High-Stakes Election After Gen Z Uprising Shakes Political Old Guard

Around the world, Gen Z is inventing new forms of mobilisation in Nepal protest last year / Collected

Nepal heads to the polls on March 5 in a pivotal parliamentary election shaped by last year’s deadly youth-led uprising that toppled Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and rattled the country’s political establishment.

The protests, initially sparked by a social media ban, quickly evolved into a broader movement against corruption, unemployment, and entrenched political elites. At least 77 people were killed during the unrest, forcing Oli’s resignation and the formation of an interim government under Sushila Karki.

The vote is widely seen as a test of legitimacy for traditional parties, including Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), the Nepali Congress, and the Maoist-rooted Nepal Communist Party. Many young voters accuse them of recycling power through unstable coalitions since Nepal became a republic in 2008.

election commission office in Kathmandu preparing for 2026 election

According to Al Jazeera, youth activists say they will closely monitor whichever party forms the next government, warning that campaign promises on anti-corruption and digital reforms must translate into action.

Nearly 19 million Nepalis are eligible to elect a 275-member parliament under the country’s mixed electoral system, which often produces fragile coalition governments. About 30 percent of voters are under 40, with some 800,000 first-time voters expected to play a decisive role.

Oli remains the prime ministerial candidate for CPN-UML despite criticism over the crackdown that ignited protests. Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress has projected generational change by electing Gagan Kumar Thapa as party president and prime ministerial hopeful.

A major challenger is rapper-turned-mayor Balen Shah, now aligned with the Rastriya Swatantra Party. Popular among Gen Z voters, Shah is contesting against Oli in Jhapa-5, framing himself as a doer rather than a traditional politician.

Political analysts warn that while new faces energise voters, Nepal’s history of fractured mandates and revolving-door governments could once again lead to instability.

For many young Nepalis, however, the message remains clear: whether inside parliament or on the streets, they intend to hold the next government accountable.

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