These are exciting times for the 19 million-strong Nepali electorate. As the country enters 2026, perhaps the most consequential elections since the first Constituent Assembly polls in 2008 are upon us. Competing for people’s votes on March 5 will be established forces such as the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML, the two stalwarts of post-1990 Nepali politics. Arrayed against them, new outfits like the revamped Rastriya Swatantra Party, the Gatisheel Loktantrik Party and the Shram Sanskriti Party.

Many Nepalis feel these newer outfits focused on anti-corruption and development agendas—and the host of clean and capable election candidates they are fielding—give them a real option to the Congress-UML duopoly. Yet there are also those who continue to believe that ideology-based old parties still have a role in Nepali politics.

So there is a lot at stake in the 2026 elections. The Gen Z uprising in early September brought about a sea-change in national politics. The old political order was blown away in under two days. A new technocratic interim government was brought in—with the sole mandate of conducting elections. A state of political vacuum prevails. The parties people plumb for in March will fill this vacuum and set the country’s governance and development course for generations. This is why people from all walks of life are so eager to take part in it; they want to ensure that the country’s future is in good hands.

After the roaring success of the second edition of the National Premier League, the country will in 2026 thus head into potentially another joyous national festival. Over the past decade or so there has been a lot of talk of building a ‘New Nepal’. Now, the moment to embark on this momentous journey is nearly upon us. It is in this spirit that we welcome 2026. Happy New Year!