Key figures contesting for power include the Marxist former prime minister seeking a return to office, a rapper-turned-mayor bidding for the youth vote, and the newly elected leader of the powerful Nepali Congress party.
“Nepalis have been waiting for change for so long, from one system to another,” said Nilanta Shakya, 60, a retired engineer, who was among the first to vote at a college in the capital, Kathmandu.
“I hope there is a meaningful change this time,” she added.
Nearly 19 million voters are choosing who replaces the interim government in place since the September 2025 uprising, in which at least 77 people were killed, and parliament and scores of government buildings were torched.
Youth-led protests under a loose Gen Z banner began as a demonstration against a brief social media ban, but were fed by wider grievances at corruption and a woeful economy.
Sushila Karki, the interim prime minister, urged a “peaceful election”, saying the vote was critical in “determining our future”.
The polls are one of the most hotly contested elections in the Himalayan republic of 30 million people since the end of a civil war in 2006.
Thousands of soldiers and police have been deployed at polling centres.
The election has seen a wave of younger candidates promising to tackle Nepal’s struggling economic situation, challenging veteran politicians who have dominated for decades and argue that their experience guarantees stability and security.
“Today feels like a day of celebration,” said Nirmala Bhandari, 50, a housewife, who danced in the street with friends for a video for social media, after casting her vote in Bhaktapur district outside the capital.
“I am hopeful that the country will get new leaders and that we will build a better nation.”
More than 3,400 candidates are running for 165 seats in direct elections to the 275-member House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament, with 110 more chosen via party lists.
Analysts say the vote is unlikely to deliver an outright majority for any party.
Some early winners are expected to published by Friday, but full results, including those under the proportional representation system — crucial if a coalition government has to be formed — may take several days. (AFP)
Edited by Tony Sabine
