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The filing of candidacies under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) of the House of Representatives elections was conducted successfully across the country on Tuesday.

As per election schedule, complaints, if any, can be lodged against the candidates fighting the direct elections today. 

The Election Commission would make public the final list of candidates under the direct election (FPTP) after investigating the complaints the next day.

The Election Commission has stated that citizenship certificates are mandatory for the filling of nominations by candidates contesting the March 5 House of Representatives elections.

As per the election calendar set by the commission, nomination of candidates is being held across the country today. 

A copy of the citizenship certificate or a copy of the voter ID card is mandatory for registration of candidacy. Similarly, proof that the name is included in the final voter list of any rural municipality or municipality of the country is also required.

If the candidate is holding a position in the Government of Nepal, Provincial Government or local level or is receiving remuneration from an organization that receives grants from the Government, proof of resignation from such position is also required. 

The nomination papers submitted need to be signed by one who has proposed and one who seconded the candidacy, by those whose names are included in the final voter list of the same constituency.

If a party has filed a candidacy, a formal letter of nomination for a candidate for the House of Representatives issued by the party’s central executive committee or a similar committee authorized to issue a formal letter of nomination for the candidate will be required.

Similarly, in the case of parties participating in the election jointly by taking a single election symbol, a formal letter of nomination for the candidate as per the House of Representatives Election Guidelines, 2082 BS, will also be required.

Candidates also need to submit a receipt of a deposit of Rs. 10,000 at the office of the concerned election officer. In the case of women, Dalits, minority communities, or economically disadvantaged candidates, a 50 percent discount on the deposit amount has been provided.

Similarly, the candidate must also provide a sealed property statement stating the details of his movable and immovable properties, accounts in banks and financial institutions, securities, shares, bonds, and loans given to or taken from anyone.

The Election Commission launched a 'call center’ today with the aim of providing information to voters regarding their election related queries.

EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said that one can call at toll free number 1102 if they have any election related queries. 

There are six desks at the call center. The queries of voters would be resolved simultaneously from these desks, he added.  

The amenity received the first call from Gandaki Province where a person questioned whether the previously scheduled examination of Public Service Commission would be affected or not due to election code of conduct. 

The officers at the call center responded that the previously scheduled PSC examination would not be affected due to election code of conduct. 

The call center runs from 9 am to 6 pm every day, according to EC. 

The facility remains operative until distribution to the election winners. 

The voting to choose leadership from the Special General Convention (SGC) of the Nepali Congress is beginning from 8 pm today. .

The election committee formed by NC Special General Convention shared this, issuing a notice recently. 

The final name list of the candidates is being published shortly, said Coordinator of the Election Committee, Sitaram KC. 

There would be voting to the post of one president, two vice-presidents, two general secretaries, eight joint general secretaries and 121 central members.  

A five-member election committee was formed as per the procedure formulated by the SGC. 

There are 4,635 general convention representatives now.

Candidates listed in political parties’ closed lists under the proportional representation (PR) system for the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections can withdraw their names until 4 pm today.

According to the Election Commission (EC), the candidates included in the closed list submitted by the political parties on December 28 and 29 could withdraw their names as per the deadline set for today.

The Commission will inform the concerned party about the candidate who has applied to be withdrawn and the party will be allowed to send the name of another candidate.

The closed list will be made public on January 18 for objections and claims, which will be investigated and the final list shall be published on February 3.

A total of 64 political parties had submitted their closed lists in the EC.

Names of 3,424 candidates of 64 parties have been included in the closed list for 110 places under the PR system. Out of 64 political parties, 54 political parties are using their own election symbols while remaining 10 parties would use a common election symbol.

A total of 93 political parties had filed applications in the EC to file candidacy under the PR system.

The EC had given time to the political parties from January 5-11 to make corrections after investigating the closed lists of the parties on January 4.

The Election Commission has brought activities in the social networking platforms under the purview of the code of conduct with the aim of making the March 5 elections to the House of Representatives free and fair.

According to the Commission, the code of conduct prohibits anyone from operating an account in social networking platforms or opening a fake site with the intention of adversely affecting the elections. 

The code of conduct prohibits any act of belittling or spreading misinformation in social networking platforms with or without the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Similarly, the code of conduct prohibits the dissemination of misleading information, insults, and hate speech, or the making misleading comments.

Similarly, information or material published or broadcast for any purpose may not be modified or posted, reposted, commented on, live-streamed, tagged or mentioned in social media, with or without the use of artificial intelligence, with the intention of influencing the election.

The code of conduct prohibits any act that adversely affects the credibility of the elections or the reputation of the Commission, Commissioner or its employees. 

It also prohibits character assassination, personal defamation, or the production of similar materials in any form, and the publication or broadcast of such materials by any means.

It also prohibits the violation of the confidentiality of voters or any other act that affects the integrity or impartiality of the election. 

The Commission is preparing to implement the code of conduct from January 17.

Any complaints against candidates, who have filed their nominations for the National Assembly member election to be held on January 25 can be filed today, according to the election program made public by the Election Commission.

The registration of candidates' nomination papers was completed peacefully at the offices of the election officers in all seven provincial capitals on Wednesday, shared the Commission's Joint Secretary and Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai.

According to the election program, the nomination papers and complaints, if any, shall be examined and the list of candidates will be published on January 9 and 10, the candidates will withdraw their names and publish the final list of candidates on January 11, and the election symbols will be given to the candidates on January 12.

The Election Commission on Sunday appointed the Chief Returning Officers and Returning Officers in all districts to conduct the elections to the House of Representatives (HoR)  slated for March 5.

The EC appointed 77 district judges as the Chief Returning Officers as per Clause 8 of HoR Act, 2074 BS. 

The meeting of the Commission took the decision to appoint the district judges as the Chief Returning Officers and the second class officers from the judicial service as the Returning Officers as per the recommendation of the Judicial Service Commission effective from January 9, according to the EC.

The Chief Returning Officers and Returning Officers have been asked to be deployed in their concerned election constituencies from January 16. 

The EC has also asked to open and run the offices of the Chief Returning Officers and Returning Officers as well as conduct the election programs in the districts for the March 5 poll.

With just two and a half months remaining before the March 5 parliamentary elections, political activities across the country have intensified. Prime Minister Sushila Karki has held meetings with leaders of major political parties, including KP Sharma Oli, Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Meanwhile, Minister for Communication and Information Technology, Jagadish Kharel, has been visiting party offices and holding discussions with party officials.

In a major political development, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah and Kulman Ghising have joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and signed a triparty agreement with party Chair Rabi Lamichhane and Ghising as Vice-chair. The agreement names Shah as the party’s prime ministerial candidate.

Other political parties, including the CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, Nepal Communist Party, and newly formed parties such as Janadesh Party, Gatisheel Loktantrik Party, and Bibeksheel Loktantrik Party, are also engaged in internal preparations. They have begun allocating candidates for the election and have already submitted closed lists of proportional representation candidates to the Election Commission.

As political parties mobilize their resources and gear up for the March 5 polls, attention has also turned to the Election Commission, the constitutional body responsible for conducting elections in Nepal.

Over the past week, the Election Commission has taken several key steps, including initiating the printing of ballot papers, collecting the closed lists of proportional representation candidates from political parties, determining candidate expenditure limits, establishing the Election Information Dissemination and Coordination Center (EIDC), publishing the voter list, approving a temporary voter list collection program, and issuing the Election Code of Conduct 2025.

The commission has also begun correcting errors in the proportional representation lists submitted by political parties. According to the Election Commission, a closed list of proportional representation candidates has been submitted from 64 political parties to contest the election under 58 election symbols. The closed lists submitted by the political parties between Dec 28 and 29 will be examined until Jan 4.

Following the examination, political parties will be asked to reconcile their lists between Jan 5 and 11. The commission will then verify the revised lists from Jan 12 to 17. The closed lists are scheduled to be published on Jan 18, while the final list will be published on Feb 3.

Meanwhile, the commission has begun printing ballot papers. Proportional representation ballot papers will be printed first, followed by direct ballot papers. Printing is being carried out at the Janak Education Materials Center Limited in Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, with the process having started on Dec 31. The commission plans to print 10 percent additional ballot papers for proportional representation elections, and the process is expected to take 20 to 30 days.

Printing of direct ballot papers will begin after the proportional ballot papers are completed and the final list of candidates is published. As direct ballot papers vary by constituency, they will be printed accordingly.

The final voter list includes citizens who will have reached the age of 18 by March 4. According to the Commission, the list comprises 18,903,689 voters—9,663,358 males, 9,240,131 females, and 200 others. In comparison, the 2022 parliamentary elections had 17,988,570 registered voters. This marks an increase of 915,119 voters, including 522,552 males, 392,552 females, and 15 others.

For the March 5 elections, the Commission has designated 23,112 polling stations across 10,967 polling centers nationwide. This represents an increase of 885 polling stations and 75 polling centers compared to the 2022 elections.

The Election Information Dissemination and Coordination Center has been established at the Commission’s office to strengthen communication with voters, candidates, political parties, and other stakeholders, and to enhance coordination with the media. The aim is to ensure that the House of Representatives elections are conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner.

The EIDC consists of three coordinated units: the Election Information and Communication Centre (Press Office), the Information Integrity Promotion Unit, and the Digital Voter Education Unit.

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari said that effective dissemination of factual and official information is essential to ensuring credible elections. He expressed confidence that the EIDC would help counter misinformation, disinformation, propaganda, and hate speech on social media during the election period. He also urged the media to uphold principles of self-regulation and responsible reporting.

Bhandari said the Commission has made necessary preparations to promptly remove misleading, rumor-based, and false information, including AI-generated deepfake content, circulating on social and digital media. He added that coordination has been established with social media platforms such as Meta, TikTok, and X to address such content and take action against individuals or organizations violating the law.

The Commission will also conduct a content analysis through an expert group to assess media coverage of election-related information, representation of political parties and candidates, portrayal of gender and geographic issues, and dissemination of voter education materials. The findings will be used to inform the Commission’s decision-making process.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has approved a temporary voter list collection program covering government employees, security personnel stationed in barracks, detainees and prisoners, residents of government-run old-age homes, and office-bearers of constitutional bodies whose names are included in the final voter list.

The Election Code of Conduct 2025 has also been approved, expanding provisions related to social media use, introducing measures for green elections, and incorporating new topics such as party manifestos. The code prohibits the dissemination of false or misleading information, operation of fake accounts or websites, and publication of defamatory or personally insulting content. While political parties and candidates may promote their agendas through official or personal social media accounts, the Commission has urged them to do so in a dignified and systematic manner.

The code further prohibits the wearing or carrying of election-related symbols, logos, or clothing during campaign activities. Political parties, candidates, and their affiliated organizations have been urged to conduct rallies, meetings, and campaign events in a disciplined and civilized manner, using only approved party flags and symbols in permitted sizes and numbers.

In cases of code violations, the Commission has stated it will take action based on the nature and severity of the offense, ranging from public warnings and fines to legal penalties, including the cancellation of candidacies. Monitoring mechanisms will be active from the central to district levels to ensure compliance.

Furthermore, the Election Commission has published the maximum spending limits for candidates contesting under the first-past-the-post system and for political parties contesting under the proportional representation system. The commission has directed candidates to open a separate account at a bank or financial institution for election-related expenses and to conduct all spending through that account. Candidates are also required to designate a responsible person to incur expenses on their behalf and to inform the Election Officer’s Office and the relevant Provincial or District Election Office of the designated person’s details.

The commission has further directed that candidates must remain within the prescribed spending limits and submit detailed statements of election-related income and expenditure—either personally or through an authorised representative—to the concerned Provincial or District Election Office within 35 days of the declaration of election results. Political parties and candidates are also required to make public the details of income and expenditure incurred during election campaigning for the information of all concerned.

The maximum spending limit has been set at Rs 2.5m for five constituencies, Rs 2.7m for 17 constituencies, Rs 2.9m for 65 constituencies, Rs 3.1m for 52 constituencies, and Rs 3.3m for 26 constituencies.

Emphasizing that credible elections require strict adherence to the code of conduct, the Commission has called for collective commitment from political parties, candidates, media, and stakeholders to ensure a clean, free, impartial, fear-free, and economical election, contributing to democratic strengthening and good governance in the country.

The Election Commission (EC) has urged the concerned side to transport most essential election related materials for the March 5 House of Representatives (HoR) elections. 

For the transportation of the election materials, helicopter, truck, and container will be used. 

The EC has urged the firms and companies operating courier services to get enlisted for the purpose of delivering election related materials. Interested firms or companies are requested to apply for the enlistment after completing all required conditions. 

The Commission has requested the submission of copies of the certification (permission) obtained from the relevant authority to operate the service, VAT registration certificate, tax clearance certificate up to the fiscal year 2081/82, and the certificate of turnover for the past three fiscal years. 

The firm or company providing helicopter rental service must have a minimum average annual turnover of Rs 30 million in the past three fiscal years. 

Those providing trucks and container service must submit turnover details of Rs 10 million, and for courier services, Rs 3 million. 

Companies interested in providing courier services must submit an application along with the details of their courier offices and representatives in all 77 districts, including telephone and mobile numbers. 

The Commission has stated that if an application for enlistment is submitted in more than one category, such application will not be processed. 

The Commission holds all rights to take the decision regarding the enlistment of service providing firm or company, it is stated. 

A total of 64 political parties have submitted closed lists for the proportional representation election to the House of Representatives (HoR) scheduled for March 5.

Of the total, 54 submitted the closed lists with their own election symbols while 10 others in four common symbols, according to the Election Commission.

The Constitution of Nepal has the provision that 165 members of the HoR are elected under first past the post (direct election) and 110 under proportional representation.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has made public the list of documents required for the National Assembly election scheduled for January 25.

The Election Commission (EC) has determined the maximum amount that a candidate can spend for the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5.

As determined by the EC, the spending limit is different for remote districts, and others with better access to services and connectivity networks.

According to the EC, the candidates from constituencies 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8 can spend upto Rs 2.5 million. 

Likewise, Rs 2.7 million of spending limit is set for the candidates from 17 constituencies.

The candidates from 65 other constituencies can spend a maximum of Rs 2.9 million, it is said.

EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said that the candidates from 52 election constituencies can spend upto Rs 3.1 million and Rs 3.3 million by the candidates of 26 election constituencies.

The EC has also asked the candidates to open a separate bank account in a bank and financial institution for the purpose of the HoR election and a responsible person should be named for the spending authority during the election.  

After the completion of the polls, the candidates should submit the election cost to the EC within 35 days of the polls as per the HoR Member Election Act.

The Election Commission (EC) has determined the maximum amount that a candidate can spend for the National Assembly (NA) election.

The EC stated that a candidate for the NA election can spend up to Rs 350,000. As set by the EC spending limit, Rs 70,000 could be spent for vehicle rent, Rs 10,000 for fuel, Rs 1,500 for publicity materials and others.

Likewise, the other costs include Rs 10,000 for transportation, Rs 100,000 for seminar and interaction programs and Rs 14,500 for printing and electronic media.

The EC mentioned that Rs 70,000 could be spent for office management, Rs 30,000 for representative mobilization and Rs 30,000 for miscellaneous items.

The NA election is scheduled to take place on January 25, 2026.

The EC has also asked the candidates to open a separate bank account in banks and financial institutions for the NA election purpose and a responsible person should be named for the spending during the election.

After the completion of the poll, the candidates should submit the election cost to the EC as per the NA Member Election Act, 2075 BS.

Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari has said that necessary preparations have already begun for conducting the House of Representatives elections on March 5. 

“It is now irrelevant to argue whether the elections will be held or not,” he said.

Addressing the concluding session of a two-day orientation organized by the Election Commission (EC) for political parties on submitting closed lists of candidates under the proportional representation (PR) system, he added, “Holding the elections is an obligation in the present situation.”

He emphasized that political issues related to the elections will be resolved politically, and the EC will uphold matters addressed through political and legal means. 

According to the Acting Chief Election Commissioner, the elections are also essential for the regularization of the Constitution. He urged political parties to select capable candidates and contribute to establishing good governance.

Bhandari also called on political parties to consider caste, language, class, and geography while submitting closed lists for the PR system. 

He urged them to avoid politics of prohibition and to help create an environment conducive to the election. He further reminded parties of the importance of complying with the election code of conduct.

“No one is expected to create obstacles for the elections,” he said, encouraging parties to engage with voters politely. “The Election Commission’s role is to act as a referee during the elections; the players are the political parties,” he added, reminding them of their responsibility to ensure a successful election.

The orientation was attended by EC Commissioners Dr Janaki Kumari Tuladhar and Sagun Shumsher JB Rana, Secretary Krishna Bahadur Raut, Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, and two representatives from each of the 93 political parties that applied to take part in the PR election.

With President Ram Chandra  Paudel, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers, issuing the House of Representatives Member Election (First Amendment) Ordinance, 2082, political parties are now required to submit closed lists under the PR system based on the population percentages of Dalits, Indigenous Nationalities, Khas Arya, Madhesi, Tharu, and Muslims according to the 2078 census report. The lists must be inclusive.

The closed lists are to be submitted to the EC between 10 am and 4 pm on December 28-29. 

Spokesperson Bhattarai confirmed that the EC is fully prepared for this process.

As the date of the election to members of the House of Representatives draws closer, political parties have intensified internal preparations. 

Political parties in the dissolved House of Representatives and all newly registered parties are conducting necessary political discussions and preparations to decide on the proportional list. 

According to Election Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, 93 parties have applied to be on the proportional list for the House of Representatives elections. 

The Commission has already prepared a time table for political parties participating in the proportional election system.

The deadline for parties to form inclusive groups based on the new percentage and submit closed lists of candidates has been set for the upcoming December 28 and 29. 

The Commission has provided necessary training to political parties for the selection of candidates for the proportional system, making it easier to address the changed provision of determining the percentage for the proportional system and the population.

The Commission has determined the percentage for the proportional system based on the population according to the National Population Census, 2078 (2021).

The Election Commission has made public the ‘Civic Education Promotion Resource Booklet for Election Programs’.

The Election Education Resource Booklet, 2082, for social studies teachers has been prepared by the Commission under the theme ‘Election Education and Information Expansion as Infrastructure for Free and Fair Elections’ and made public through its website. 

The resource material includes various topics in seven chapters.

Chapter one covers democracy and the constitution, chapter two covers election and political party related provisions, chapter three covers electoral system, various levels of elections and inclusiveness, and chapter four covers the election cycle and processes (voting process, NOTA, counting, etc.).

Similarly, Chapter Five discusses the election management bodies and related laws, Chapter Six discusses compliance with the election code of conduct, monitoring and supervision, and Chapter Seven discusses election stakeholders, duties and rights of citizens, and the role of teachers in the election process, as well as visits to the Election Education and Information Center.