KATHMANDU, Nov 11: A total of 19 new political parties have so far applied for registration at the Election Commission (EC) to contest the March 5 election for the House of Representatives (HoR).
According to the EC, the number of registered political parties has now reached 125. Officials said the EC is currently reviewing documents submitted by the new applicants for formal approval.
Among the 19, eight parties are either led by or associated with Gen Z protestors who spearheaded the September 8–9 demonstrations that resulted in the fall of the KP Sharma Oli-led government.
23 parties bow out from March 5 HoR polls
Unlike in previous years, the new applicants come from a wide range of backgrounds — including political veterans, former lawmakers, businesspersons, diplomats and members of the Gen Z movement that has reshaped Nepal’s political landscape in recent months.
One of the notable new groups is the Gatisheel Loktantrik Party, led by Professor Dinesh Prasain, with Buddha Air Managing Director Birendra Bahadur Basnet among its key promoters.
In a surprising turn, the Netra Bikram Chand-led Nepal Communist Party (NCP), once outlawed in 2019 for violent activities and known for boycotting past elections, has also submitted an application for registration.
Similarly, former ambassador of Nepal to Saudi Arabia Nawaraj Subedi has sought to register the Janayug Party. Subedi was previously affiliated with the CPN (Maoist Centre) and later with the Janata Samajbadi Party.
Meanwhile, Energy Minister Kul Man Ghising is in the final stages of registering a new party to be officially named Ujyalo Nepal (Bright Nepal). According to party insiders, the name was chosen to symbolise Ghising’s popular legacy for ending nationwide load-shedding during his tenure at the Nepal Electricity Authority. Earlier, supporters had debated alternative names, including Rastriya Janasewa Party.
In a twist, Gyanendra Bahadur Tamang, a retired teacher with long-standing ties to the Maoist movement, has already filed to register another party named Ujyaalo Nepal Party. The EC said it will finalise party names after verifying documents and avoiding duplication.
With the election season approaching, the EC has reported a steady rise in voter registration, with thousands of new voters enrolling daily ahead of the November 16 deadline. The EC plans to unveil the full election schedule once the registration process concludes.
