JHAPA, Nepal, Feb 16, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Nepali candidates launched campaigning 
on Monday for next month's parliamentary elections, the first since deadly 
anti-corruption protests toppled the previous government in 2025.

In the key battleground of Jhapa-5 -- a constituency in Nepal's eastern 
plains with the world's highest peaks on the horizon -- a head-to-head 
political fight dominating the campaign was already heating up.

The ousted former prime minister's bid to return to power -- 73-year-old 
Marxist leader KP Sharma Oli -- is being challenged on his home turf by a 
rapper-turned-mayor casting himself as a symbol of youth-driven political 
change, 35-year-old Balendra Shah.

Both Oli and Shah kicked off campaigning in Jhapa on Monday, wooing voters to 
their cause.

"KP Oli is a need of this nation," 66-year-old Jhapa resident Hima Karki told 
AFP, one of 163,000 voters in the constituency, a mix of towns and farming 
settlements. "He is the saviour of the nation, and his victory from here is 
certain."

Others were more doubtful of Oli's return to power.

"Only the youth can bring change," said Chhabi Khatiwoda, 33, a Jhapa 
resident who has switched his support from Oli to Shah, who has joined the 
Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the fourth biggest in the last parliament.

"It is high time we all became politically aware and work for new Nepal."

The youth-led protests in September were triggered by a brief social media 
ban, but were fuelled by anger at economic stagnation and an ageing elite 
seen as out of touch.

Over two days in September, 77 people were killed, scores were injured, 
hundreds of buildings set on fire -- including parliament, courts and a 
Hilton hotel -- and Oli was ousted.

It was the Himalayan nation's worst violence since a decade-long civil war 
ended in 2006.

"This election will draw the future of the country," Sushila Karki, who is 
serving as interim prime minister until the March 5 vote, said ahead of the 
start of campaigning.

- Young and old -

Two weeks of campaigns will see a host of new, younger candidates promise to 
offer change, challenging veteran politicians who say they provide stability 
and security.

"Today is the first day," Election Commission spokesman Prakash Nyupane told 
AFP, but said that the active participation of parties was "a good signal of 
a positive environment for the election".

Shah, who first gained national attention through Nepal's underground hip-hop 
scene, releasing songs that railed against corruption and inequality, 
cultivated a devoted following on social media.

But Oli-loyalist Hima Karki said the election battle would not be won online.

"Others may win on social media but we will win in the real election," he 
said.

Also in the race is Nepali Congress, the country's oldest party.

It was once part of Oli's coalition government, but has elected a new leader 
since the uprising -- 49?year?old Gagan Thapa.

And, at the other end of the spectrum from Gen Z politics, supporters of the 
ex?king Gyanendra Shah, 78 -- deposed in 2008, ending 240 years of monarchy -
- will also campaign.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which draws support from royalist 
nostalgia and frustration with mainstream politics, rallied thousands in 
Kathmandu on Friday as the ex-king drove through the streets waving from his 
car.

- 'Way out' -

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, including 800,000 taking 
part for the first time.

They will elect members to the 275-seat House of Representatives, the lower 
house, with 165 via a direct vote and 110 through proportional 
representation.

More than 3,400 candidates are competing in the direct vote, 30 percent aged 
under 40.

Campaign banners and party flags are already being strung up in towns, with a 
string of rallies planned as candidates seek to woo voters.

"This election is being conducted in a special condition," former chief 
justice Karki said, as she oversaw polling preparations last week. "This has 
to give the country a way out."

The Election Commission has said it is ready to hold the polls as planned 
despite concerns over weather conditions, as many high-altitude areas may be 
snowbound that early in the year.

The vote is being held unusually early in the year, due to an accelerated 
election schedule brought on by the September unrest.

Extra security forces have been drafted to ensure calm, with around 300,000 
officers and temporary election police deployed.