Kathmandu, March 5 (NationPress) By 1 PM on Thursday, approximately 24 percent of eligible voters had participated in Nepal's parliamentary elections, with the electoral process proceeding tranquilly nationwide, according to the Election Commission.

Since the voting commenced at 7 AM, over 4.45 million individuals have utilized their voting rights, representing 24 percent of the total registered voters.

With more than 18.90 million citizens eligible to vote, including 915,119 newly registered voters, this election marks the first since the Gen-Z uprising in September last year, which led to the ousting of former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli.

The elections aim to select 275 members of the House of Representatives: 165 via the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) method and 110 through proportional representation.

Law enforcement reported that the voting process was peaceful across the nation up to Thursday noon, with only a few isolated minor incidents noted.

Deputy Inspector General Abi Narayan Kafle, spokesperson for the Nepal Police, informed IANS that polling was progressing smoothly, despite minor disruptions at a handful of polling stations, which had been managed effectively.

“Overall, the elections are being conducted in a very peaceful environment across the country,” he stated, noting that there had been no reports of violence until noon.

In Dolakha district's Tamakoshi Rural Municipality, voting was temporarily suspended after a candidate's representative attempted to physically confront a polling officer over voting procedures. Police intervened by firing a warning shot to restore order, as stated by Aulakh Bahadur Ale, Assistant Chief District Officer.

Earlier, a minor altercation occurred at a polling station in the Sarlahi-4 constituency, where Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa is a candidate, facing off against Amaresh Kumar Singh of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).

Police confirmed that no significant incidents affecting the elections had been reported up to Thursday noon.

Top political figures, including Prime Minister Sushila Karki, have already cast their votes, along with major leaders like Gagan Thapa, K P Sharma Oli, Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda,' Rabi Lamichhane, and prime ministerial candidate Balen Shah.

After voting, Prime Minister Karki encouraged citizens to engage actively in the democratic process: “I call upon all voters to make their voices heard through their votes, as they shape our future.”

The elections are taking place at 23,112 polling centers, with 3,406 candidates competing under the FPTP system and 3,135 under the proportional representation method.