President Ramchandra Paudel and Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav have decided not to vote in the House of Representatives election, maintaining constitutional neutrality.

Former presidents Ram Baran Yadav and Bidya Devi Bhandari had also refrained from voting while in office.

“The President and Vice President have decided not to cast a vote to maintain a neutral constitutional role,” the Office of the President informed the Post.

However, Prime Minister Sushila Karki will cast her vote at a polling centre located at a school in Dhapasi Heights, Kathmandu, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat said.

Former presidents are eligible to vote after leaving office. Ram Baran Yadav will vote from Laxminiya Rural Municipality in Dhanusha, as in previous elections, while Bhandari is scheduled to vote from Budhanilkantha Municipality–2 in Kathmandu.

Although the Constitution of Nepal does not explicitly prohibit the President and Vice President from voting in federal, provincial or local elections, a longstanding constitutional practice requires them to remain politically neutral while in office.

Similarly, former vice presidents Paramananda Jha and Nanda Bahadur Pun also did not vote during their tenure. Jha has since retired from public life, while Pun has returned to active politics.

The constitution states that the President serves as the head of state and must perform duties in accordance with the Constitution and federal laws, while promoting national unity and safeguarding constitutional order.

Meanwhile, former prime minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli will vote in Balkot, Bhaktapur-2, while former prime minister and coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, is set to vote from Chitwan-3.

Former prime minister and founder of the Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party, Baburam Bhattarai, will cast his vote from Palungtar Municipality–1, Gorkha, and former prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal will vote from Rautahat-1.