Nepal's Gen Z election centers youth challengers and Balendra Shah

Nepalis vote Thursday in the first national election since a Gen Z-led movement in September, with Balendra Shah and new parties prominent among many candidates and 275 parliamentary seats at stake.

Nepalis are voting for a new government on Thursday in the first national election since a youth-led movement in September. That movement challenged longstanding parties after a deadly crackdown and widespread arson. Many voters say concerns about corruption, jobs abroad, and accountability are driving their choices. A high-profile figure, Balendra Shah, who served as Kathmandu mayor and gained popularity as a millennial rapper, has emerged as a prominent candidate. Key details: - Voting is set for Thursday for 275 parliamentary seats, of which 165 are directly elected and the remainder assigned by proportional representation. - Balendra (Balendra Shah), 35, is associated with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (R.S.P.), which is fielding nine Gen Z candidates and has campaigned energetically. - Sixty-five political parties are contesting, and nearly 160 Gen Z candidates are running, roughly half as independents; there are reported to be 15 Gen Z female candidates. - About 335,000 security personnel have been mobilized for the vote, including nearly 150,000 special election police, and voters are restricted from driving to polling stations without special passes. - Ballots use party symbols for recognition; there is no absentee voting and roughly 10 percent of Nepal’s roughly 30 million people live abroad, affecting many migrant workers’ ability to vote. - Analysts and reports in the article say no single party is likely to win a meaningful majority and full results may take days to tally. Summary: The election could bring younger leaders into national office while likely producing a coalition government rather than a clear majority. Official results are expected to take days, and inquiries into last September’s crackdown and subsequent unrest remain unresolved ahead of the vote.