Thursday’s parliamentary elections in Nepal surged ahead with over 40 lakh voters—24% of 18.9 million eligibles, featuring 915,119 debutants—by 1 PM, as per Election Commission data. The nationwide exercise, launched at 7 AM, has been remarkably peaceful, reviving democratic fervor after September 2025’s Gen-Z uprising felled ex-PM KP Sharma Oli’s coalition.
The ballot elects 275 lower house members through a hybrid system: 165 FPTP seats and 110 proportional. Police chief spokesperson DIG Abi Narayan Kafle lauded the hitch-free progress, isolating minor flare-ups. ‘Very peaceful so far, no violent incidents,’ he shared.
Trouble brewed in Dolakha district’s Tamakoshi area when an agent’s ire over a polling officer’s rejection of proxy voting sparked an assault attempt. Voting paused after police warning shots; an all-party huddle now seeks amicable settlement, said official Aulakh Bahadur Ale.
Dawn skirmishes hit Sarlahi-4, a battleground for Nepali Congress’s Gagan Thapa versus RSP rival Amresh Kumar Singh. No major fallout ensued. Elite participants included PM Sushila Karki, UML’s Oli, Prachanda, RSP’s Lamichhane, and Balen Shah.
Karki rallied the masses: ‘Cast your precious vote—it’s our future’s architect.’ Afternoon calm suggests robust closure, positioning Nepal for post-turmoil governance renewal.