Nepal has put in place foolproof security arrangements for Thursday’s (March 4, 2026) election with the deployment of over 3 lakh security personnel under an integrated security plan in coordination with the Nepal Army, the Election Commission said on Wednesday (March 4, 2026).

Addressing a press meet in Kathmandu on the eve of the polls, Acting Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said all preparations for the election have been completed and urged voters to participate actively and enthusiastically in the democratic exercise.

He said foolproof security arrangements have been made with the deployment of more than 3,00,000 security personnel under an integrated security plan in coordination with the Nepal Army.

Mr. Bhandari expressed confidence that voters would exercise their franchise in large numbers.

He said the percentage of invalid ballots was expected to be minimal due to extensive voter education programmes carried out across the country by the Election Commission.

Polling will begin at 7 a.m. and conclude at 5 p.m., Mr. Bhandari said, adding that the counting will start immediately after the ballot boxes are collected.

Helicopters will be used in several areas to transport ballot boxes to district headquarters, he added.

The results under the direct voting or first-past-the-post system are expected within 24 hours of the commencement of counting, Bhandari said.

He said four international and 39 national organisations would be involved in observing the general election.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah was on Sunday (December 28, 2025) nominated the prime ministerial candidate as he and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) inked a pact to jointly contest the March 5 Nepal elections.

Also Read I Face of Gen Z protests in Nepal and front-runner for PM post Balendra Shah studied in Karnataka

The seven-point agreement, reached after overnight marathon negotiations, designates 35-year-old Mr. Shah as the parliamentary party leader and the prime ministerial face, while Rabi Lamichhane will continue as chairperson of the RSP, the fourth-largest party in the dissolved House of Representatives (HoR).

As per the agreement, Mr. Shah and his group will contest the elections on the RSP’s election symbol ‘Bell’, allotted by the Election Commission. With him agreeing to merge his team with the RSP, the party’s name, flag and election symbol will remain unchanged.

Following the agreement, Mr. Lamichhane said the consensus should reflect the needs of the country rather than the ambitions of individual leaders. He shared the remarks in a Facebook post on Sunday morning (December 28, 2025). The agreement states that the two sides have taken “ownership of the movement launched by the younger generation against corruption and bad governance”, and expressed commitment to address the demands raised by Gen Z protesters, including those injured during the movement.

Political observers see the pact as a significant step towards uniting emerging youth-led political forces that spearheaded the September movement, which led to the fall of the K.P. Sharma Oli-led government. Following the deal, a large number of Gen Z supporters are expected to join the RSP.

Also Read I Deposed Nepal PM Oli gets re-elected as CPN-UML chair for third term

Another newly formed group, the Ujyalo Nepal Party (UNP) led by Energy and Water Resources Minister Kulman Ghising — who has held several rounds of talks with Mr. Shah on unity and collaboration — is yet to announce a decision on joining the alliance. The signing ceremony was attended by senior RSP leaders, including Swarnim Wagle, D.P. Aryal and Shishir Khanal, along with Asim Shah from Mr. Lamichhane’s side. While, Kumar Byanjankar, Nishchal Basnet and Bhoop Dev Shah represented Mr. Shah’s camp.

Nepal’s Election Commission said on Wednesday (November 5, 2025) that 125 political parties had registered to contest the first parliamentary polls since a mass uprising in September ousted the government.

Many are established parties, but some of the movements vying for seats in the March 2026 vote were formed by youth activists who helped launch the anti-corruption protests that shook the country earlier this year.

“We are working with a belief that all political parties and citizens are eager to bring a new leadership to the country through the election,” commission spokesman Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told AFP.

Registration remains open for another two weeks.

The final list, including the exact number of new parties and those associated with youth groups, will be released after the November 18 deadline.

The September protests, triggered by a brief ban on social media, quickly morphed into a nationwide movement against economic hardship and government corruption.

Two days of violent unrest killed at least 73 people, and saw parliament, courts and government buildings set ablaze.

In the aftermath, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, 73, was appointed interim Prime Minister to guide the Himalayan nation until elections.

Nepal’s political future remains uncertain, with deep public distrust of established parties posing a major challenge to holding credible elections.

But Mr. Bhattarai insisted the commission was determined to “conduct the election in a peaceful, impartial, and fear-free environment”.

Karki on October 29 held the first talks between political parties and youth representatives since the protests, attended by all major political parties including that of ousted premier K.P. Sharma Oli.

The unrest further weakened Nepal’s already fragile economy, with the World Bank warning in October that “heightened political and economic uncertainty are expected to cause growth to decline” to 2.1%.

The bank estimates a “staggering” 82% of Nepal’s workforce is in informal employment, with GDP per capita at $1,447 in 2024.