NEPAL voted on Thursday to elect a new parliament in a contest between established political leaders and a youth movement, six months after anti-corruption protests led to the fall of the government.
Figures contesting the election include a Marxist former prime minister seeking to return to office, a rapper-turned-mayor appealing to young voters, and the newly elected leader of the Nepali Congress party.
"Nepalis have been waiting for change for so long, from one system to another," said Nilanta Shakya, 60, a retired engineer who was among the first to vote at a college polling centre in Kathmandu.
"I hope there is a meaningful change this time," she added.
Nearly 19 million voters are deciding who will replace the interim government that has been in place since the September 2025 uprising. At least 77 people were killed during the protests, and parliament and several government buildings were set on fire.
Youth-led protests under a loose Gen Z banner began as a demonstration against a brief social media ban and later expanded to include complaints about corruption and the economy.
Interim prime minister Sushila Karki called for a "peaceful election", saying the vote was important in "determining our future".
Polling stations are scheduled to close at 5:00 pm (1115 GMT). The vote is one of the most contested elections in Nepal since the end of the civil war in 2006.
Thousands of soldiers and police have been deployed at polling centres.
The election has brought forward younger candidates who say they want to address Nepal’s economic problems. They are challenging veteran politicians who have led the country for years and say their experience offers stability and security.
"Today feels like a day of celebration," said Nirmala Bhandari, 50, a housewife, after voting in Bhaktapur district near Kathmandu. She later danced in the street with friends while recording a video for social media.
"I am hopeful that the country will get new leaders and that we will build a better nation."
'Blood will bring change'
Helicopters have delivered voting materials to mountain regions across Nepal, which is home to eight of the world’s 10 highest peaks, including Mount Everest.
Attention is also on the farming plains south of Kathmandu, where the three candidates seeking the prime minister’s post are contesting seats. This marks a shift from earlier elections that focused on the capital.
KP Sharma Oli, the 74-year-old Marxist leader removed as prime minister last year, is contesting in the eastern town of Jhapa. His challenger there is former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician.
"This election must reestablish democracy and contribute to end non-political, anarchic and violent tendencies," Oli said after voting, adding that his party would win the largest number of seats.
The Jhapa-5 constituency, with about 163,000 voters, will determine whether Oli keeps his seat or whether Shah enters parliament.
Shah, from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), voted in Kathmandu while dressed in a black suit and sunglasses. He has presented himself as a symbol of youth-led political change.
Another candidate seeking the prime minister’s post is Gagan Thapa, 49, the new head of the Nepali Congress party. He has said he wants to end the "old age" club of veteran leaders rotating in power.
After voting, Thapa told AFP that it is "the duty of the leaders" to ensure that the events of September do not happen again.
On social media, voters posted images of their ink-marked thumbs along with photos from the September protests.
"At the Gen Z protest, people died -- and their blood will bring change, we hope," said Tek Bahadur Aale, 66, who voted in Jhapa.
"We hope a government with good governance, no corruption, comes this time."
More than 3,400 candidates are contesting 165 seats through direct elections to the 275-member House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament. Another 110 seats will be filled through party lists.
Analysts say the election may not produce a clear majority for any party.
Some early winners are expected to be announced by Friday, but full results, including those under the proportional representation system, may take several days.
(With inputs from AFP)
