New Delhi, March 5: India has welcomed the successful elections held in Nepal on Thursday and congratulated the government, the people, and Prime Minister Sushila Karki.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal addressed media inquiries, stating, “The citizens of Nepal enthusiastically exercised their democratic rights today. We welcome the successful completion of these elections. We congratulate Prime Minister Sushila Karki, the government of Nepal, its people, and various stakeholders for the successful organization of these elections, which were conducted under extraordinary circumstances last year.”
Jaiswal further emphasized, “India has always supported peace, progress, and stability in Nepal. In line with our commitments, we provided logistical support for these elections at the request of the Nepalese government. We look forward to working with Nepal’s new government to strengthen the multifaceted relations between our two countries and their peoples for mutual benefit.”
The parliamentary elections in Nepal concluded peacefully, although the voter turnout was relatively low.
Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari stated in a press briefing that preliminary information indicates a voter turnout of approximately 60%. If this percentage does not increase with the final figures, it will be the lowest since the 1991 parliamentary elections. The turnout in the 2022 elections was 61.41%. He noted that data collection is still ongoing.
Bhandari mentioned, “Counting will begin immediately after securely collecting the ballot boxes following the completion of the voting process.”
The Election Commission reported that ballot boxes from remote areas in 15 districts will be transported by helicopter.
According to the commission, there are a total of 18.9 million registered voters in the country. Some polling stations experienced boycotts as citizens expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s failure in development projects.
Bhandari clarified, “This dissatisfaction is directed at the government, not the Election Commission, and the government should address this issue.”
These new elections in Nepal were held nearly two years ahead of schedule due to the political situation arising from the Janjati movement in September last year, which led to the fall of the government led by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.
Subsequently, the current interim government was formed under Prime Minister Sushila Karki. After taking office, the lower house was dissolved at the request of Janjati leaders, who mandated that new elections be held within six months.
More than 18.9 million people were eligible to vote in these elections, including 915,119 newly registered voters.
According to the Election Commission, more than two-thirds of the newly registered voters belong to the Janjati age group, indicating a significant increase in youth participation ahead of the 2026 elections. These elections were conducted at 23,112 polling stations.
Under the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system, 3,406 candidates contested, while 3,135 candidates ran under the Proportional Representation system.
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