‘Every vote will shape our future,’ says Nepal's interim PM Sushila Karki as first post–Gen Z uprising poll begins
Nepal’s interim PM Sushila Karki emphasises the importance of every vote as the nation holds its first elections since last year's Gen Z-led protests. With a focus on stability and security, over 1.9 Crore citizens are set to choose from thousands of candidates for the House of Representatives.
Nepal's interim prime minister, Sushila Karki has called for peaceful elections being held today. The elections are the first polls being held in the Himalayan nation since the last year's deadly anti-corruption protests that toppled the government.
"Every vote is important in determining our future," the 73-year-old former chief justice, who came out of retirement to lead the South Asian nation, said in a statement.
Nepal is voting today in crucial general elections. The Gen Z-led protests last year had toppled the KP Sharma Oli-led government. Oli is again a PM contender this election, too.
As many as 1.9 Crore Nepalese are eligible to exercise their franchise to elect the 275-member House of Representatives from among the 3,406 candidates vying for 165 seats under direct voting and 3,135 candidates vying for 110 seats through proportionate voting.
“Thank you for your patience and understanding, for ensuring a peaceful election,” Karki said.
The voting began at 7 AM (Local time) today and will conclude at 5 PM. Counting will begin immediately after the ballot boxes are collected. Final results may take a day or two, the officials said.
Officiating Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said before the voting that foolproof security arrangements have been put in place, with the deployment of more than 300,000 security personnel under an integrated security plan coordinated with the Nepal Army.
Bhandari expressed confidence that voters would exercise their franchise in large numbers.
"This time the voting percentage will increase, and the percentage of invalid ballot papers will also decline due to improved voter education launched by the commission," he said.
Why were the elections necessitated?
The general elections were necessitated after KP Sharma Oli resigned as prime minister on 9 September last year, following violent protests by the youth-led Gen Z group against his government over corruption and a ban on social media.
The government of KP Sharma Oli abruptly banned 26 social media platforms (including Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok), citing regulatory non-compliance. The youth viewed this as a blatant attempt to silence dissent and expose government corruption, which had been trending online under hashtags like #NepoBaby.
In the following days, tens of thousands of young protesters—many in school and college uniforms—marched on the Federal Parliament. The march turned violent after the Prime Minister dismissed it as a “staged drama” and the police response led to dozens of deaths.
Oli resigned as prime minister on 9 September. Former chief justice Sushila Karki,73, was appointed interim prime minister to lead the Himalayan republic of 30 million people to elections.
Why do Nepal Elections matter for India?
Elections in Nepal are considered most consequential for India-Nepal relations in decades. Because of the shared 1,751-km open border and deep cultural ties, any tremor in Kathmandu is felt in New Delhi.
The “Gen Z Uprising” in September 2025 created a security nightmare for India. During the chaos, over 15,000 prisoners escaped, and firearms were looted from police armouries, prompting India to put the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) on high alert.
(With agency inputs)
A stable government can secure the border and prevent it from being used by third-party actors or criminal elements.
(With agency inputs)
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
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