Nepal is voting in a fragmented race that pits new parties riding Gen Z frustration against established political forces banking on their traditional support base, raising the prospect of another coalition government.
The election on Thursday comes months after youth-led protests shook the South Asian nation, with thousands of young Nepalis taking to the streets to demand accountability, jobs and an end to corruption.
The nationwide demonstrations, whose crackdown caused dozens of deaths, exposed deep discontent among young people over what they see as political elites disconnected from everyday life.
Perched between China and India, the country of 30 million people has been plagued for decades by political instability, crippling a largely agrarian economy and worsening unemployment - structural issues ‌compounded by rampant corruption.
Of the 136 parties registered with the Election Commission, only 65 are contesting the elections, according to the commission.
The government has declared a three-day public holiday for elections, citing security reasons and logistical challenges in the Himalayan nation.
Nepal does not have a practice of publicly released opinion polls, but analysts say the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) could emerge as the single largest party, while newly formed parties such as Shram Sanskriti Party and Ujyaalo Nepal Party are seen as potential disruptors in select constituencies.
The old parties including the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), the Nepali Communist Party and the royalist Rastriya Prajatantra Party are also expecting to feature prominently.
Gehendra Lal Malla, professor of political science at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, said the absence of alliances, combined with numerous smaller parties, could make it difficult for any single party to secure a clear majority.
"The RSP has the right momentum and could do well. However, it looks like no party will secure a clear majority," he said.
Initial vote counting trends are expected by Friday though full results could take longer.
- with Reuters