The government has decided to hold the elections for one-third of the members of the National Assembly on January 25, 2026.

The Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, on Wednesday, fixed the date to elect new lawmakers after the 18 retire on March 4, 2026. One third of the members of the 59-strong upper house retire biennially, requiring a vote to elect their replacements.

As per the records at the parliament secretariat, the highest number, 8, of retiring lawmakers are from the CPN-UML. It is followed by the CPN (Maoist Centre), whose seven members complete their terms in the next four years. An upper house member has a six-year tenure.

“One member each from the CPN (Unified Socialist), the Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal and the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party too are retiring in March,” said Ek Ram Giri, spokesperson at the secretariat. “The term of Bamdev Gautam, a nominated member, too ends on the same date.”

The Nepali Congress, the second largest party in the upper house, has no member retiring on the date.

While 18 members will be chosen by an electoral college, one member will be nominated by the President on the recommendation of the government.

The constitution envisions the National Assembly as a permanent chamber of Parliament. While the lower house was dissolved on September 12, the upper house is in existence.

Those completing their terms from the UML include Bimala Ghimire, vice-chair of the House.

Indira Devi Gautam, who was elected from the women’s cluster of Koshi Province; Gopal Bhattarai, elected from Lumbini Province; and Tulsa Kumari Dahal, elected from the women’s cluster of Madhesh Province, Debendra Dahal, elected from Koshi Province, Bhagawati Neupane from the women’s cluster in Gandaki Province, Sharada Devi Bhatta from the women’s cluster in Sudurpaschim Province, and Sumitra BC from Karnali Province are also completing their terms from the UML.

Those completing their tenure from the Maoist Centre are Gopi Bahadur Sarki Achhami, elected from the Dalit cluster in Koshi Province; Ganga Kumari Belbase from the women’s cluster in Bagmati Province, and Jag Prasad Sharma from the disability and minority community cluster in Lumbini Province. Others having their terms ended are Taraman Swar from the Other cluster in Sudurpashchim Province, Narayan Kaji Shrestha from Gandaki Province, Maya Prasad Sharma from Karnali Province, and Radheshyam Paswan from the Dalit cluster in Madhesh Province. Shrestha is the immediate past senior vice-chair of the largest party in the House.

An electoral college of the provincial assembly members and the heads and deputies of municipalities and rural municipalities will vote to elect the members of the upper house. They have different electoral weights. The Election Commission has set the electoral weight for provincial assembly members at 53, while the weight for local government heads and deputies is 19.