Voting Begins to Fill Vacant Seats in Nepal’s National Assembly

Voting to fill 17 vacant seats in Nepal's National Assembly begins

PTI, January 25, 2026, Kathmandu : Voting to fill 17 vacant seats in the National Assembly, the Upper House of the Nepal Parliament, began on Sunday morning.

Out of 18 seats of the Upper House that remained unoccupied, one in Koshi Province for the Khas Arya category was fulfilled unopposed.

Sunil Thapa of the Nepali Congress party was elected uncontested for the Khas Arya category in Koshi, according to the Election Commission.

The voting began at 9 am (local time) and will conclude at 3 pm. Results will be announced after 5 pm.

For the National Assembly election, eligible voters include provincial assembly members, mayors, deputy mayors, as well as chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of rural municipalities, who carry different weightage.

Out of a total of 59 members in the National Assembly, eight are elected from each of the seven provinces and three are nominated by the President.

One third of the National Assembly seats fall vacant every two years, to be filled by election.

Elections for the House of Representatives, the Lower House of Parliament, are scheduled to be held on March 5 (2026).

The elections were necessitated after K P Sharma Oli resigned as Prime Minister on September 9, following violent protests by the youth-led Gen Z group against his government over corruption and a ban on social media.

Sushila Karki, 73, became the interim Prime Minister on September 12, and on her recommendation, the President dissolved the House of Representatives and announced the election date.