Kathmandu, March 5 (NationPress) The parliamentary elections commenced in Nepal at 7 a.m. on Thursday for the House of Representatives, with voters forming lines at various polling centers nationwide to exercise their right to vote.

This election aims to select 275 members for the lower house—165 through the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) method and 110 via the proportional representation approach.

Prominent figures, such as Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) President Rabi Lamichhane and senior party leader Balen Shah, along with Former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, also participated in the voting process from their respective hometowns.

Lamichhane and Shah voted in Kathmandu, with Shah contesting from Jhapa-5 in eastern Nepal as a significant opponent to former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. However, he is ineligible to vote for himself as voting must occur in one's registered hometown.

After casting his vote, RSP President Lamichhane emphasized the importance of voting in shaping the leadership desired by the populace. He stated, "This is a chance to define your future and that of your children," addressing the voters directly.

His party, which ranks as the fourth-largest in the previously dissolved House of Representatives, is anticipated to perform better this time due to growing public dissatisfaction with traditional political parties and the presence of appealing personalities in the party.

Former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' also exercised his voting rights from his hometown in Bharatpur, Chitwan, where his daughter Renu Dahal is a candidate for the House of Representatives. Renu, a former mayor of the city, is viewed as a strong contender due to her successful development initiatives.

Prachanda himself is a candidate from Rukum East-1 in western Nepal, an area traditionally associated with his party. Following his vote, he remarked that the conversation about old versus new political entities fails to represent the people's needs; rather, the focus should be on the merit of parties and candidates. His party, along with the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), is often categorized as part of the old guard, facing public disenchantment.

Additionally, renowned leader Kul Man Ghising, president of the Ujyalo Nepal Party, cast his vote in Kathmandu. Ghising is celebrated for terminating extensive load-shedding during his leadership of the Nepal Electricity Authority and has since established his own party.

These elections in the Himalayan nation are occurring nearly two years ahead of schedule due to new political dynamics following the Gen Z movement in September last year, which led to the ousting of former Prime Minister Oli. This shift facilitated the creation of the current interim government led by Sushila Karki.

Upon her appointment, the lower house was dissolved at the request of Gen Z leaders, who mandated fresh elections within six months.

Over 18.90 million individuals are eligible to vote in these elections, including 915,119 newly registered voters. Notably, more than two-thirds of these new voters belong to the Gen Z demographic, indicating a significant rise in youth involvement ahead of the 2026 polls, per the Election Commission of Nepal.

Elections are being conducted across 23,112 polling centers. A total of 3,406 candidates are contesting under the FPTP system, while 3,135 individuals are competing under the proportional representation format.