Following the deadly September protests that toppled the government, young Nepalis are registering to vote in large numbers and preparing to stand as candidates in the March 5, 2026 election. At least 76 people died during the unrest, which exposed deep public anger over economic stagnation and corruption. Nearly 675,000 new voters have registered, about half through a new online system, while 123 parties are registered and 32 more are under review. Many Gen Z leaders are still weighing whether to form new parties or back candidates as they push to institutionalise their movement.
Nepal’s Gen Z Drives Surge in Voter Registration and Candidacies Ahead of March 2026 Vote
Following the deadly September protests that toppled the government, young Nepalis are registering to vote in large numbers and preparing to stand as candidates in the March 5, 2026 election. At least 76 people died during the unrest, which exposed deep public anger over economic stagnation and corruption. Nearly 675,000 new voters have registered, about half through a new online system, while 123 parties are registered and 32 more are under review. Many Gen Z leaders are still weighing whether to form new parties or back candidates as they push to institutionalise their movement.
07:35 PM, 11/20/2025Politics
Months after a deadly uprising that shook the country, young Nepalis are lining up — not to protest but to register to vote and in some cases to stand as candidates in the election their movement helped bring about. The wave of civic engagement marks a potential turning point in a political system long dominated by older, familiar faces.
Kishori Karki, a 25-year-old law graduate and first-time voter, has applied to register a new party for the March 5, 2026 election. Footage of Karki riding a motorbike to ferry an injured demonstrator to hospital on the first day of the protests became one of the viral images of the uprising. "We must have new faces in the election," she said, explaining her decision to move from street activism to formal politics.
The protests and their aftermath
The demonstrations on September 8-9 began in reaction to a short government ban on social media but quickly revealed deeper grievances: years of economic stagnation and entrenched corruption had primed Nepal’s population of about 30 million for upheaval. At least 76 people died during the unrest, and parliament, courts and government offices were damaged in the violence. Four-time prime minister KP Sharma Oli, 73, was removed from power.
In the weeks after the protests, thousands of young activists used online platforms to coordinate and even nominated a former chief justice, Sushila Karki, as a preferred interim leader. She was appointed to guide the country until the election scheduled for March 5, 2026.
From street to ballot
Many of the youth who led the demonstrations are now mobilising their peers to register and vote. "If the generation that led the protest does not participate in this election, how will the movement be institutionalised?" asked Uparjun Chamling, 25, who plans to run. "We need new faces — and new thinking."
Interest in voting has surged, particularly among young people who see the ballot as a test of whether protest energy can translate into real change. Sabita Biswokarma, 26, a student who queued to register before the November 21 deadline, said the protests sparked her interest in politics. Nearly 675,000 new voters have registered so far, with roughly half using a new online registration system that many young people welcomed.
The Election Commission reports 123 parties already registered, with 32 more under consideration and a deadline for party registration set for November 26. While many grassroots organisers are campaigning for registration and outreach on the ground, most prominent Gen Z figures have not yet launched formal parties. Some are instead building networks and backing like-minded candidates rather than immediately forming new parties.
Challenges ahead
Nepal’s political landscape remains volatile and scarred by deep public distrust of established parties. The path to the March election is uncertain, with organisational hurdles and lingering tensions from the protests. Yet a clear spark has been lit: first-time voters and new candidates are injecting momentum and attention into a fraught political season.
"I was never interested in politics," said Sunita Tamang, 40, who registered to vote for the first time. "But after this political change, I felt I should exercise my voting rights to choose good leadership."
As young Nepalis decide whether to run, form parties, or support candidates, the March 2026 vote will be a critical test of whether street-level activism can be translated into sustained political change.