Kathmandu: Nepal’s Election Commission has added 168 new polling stations for the upcoming general election on March 5, increasing the total to 10,967 nationwide, officials said on Sunday.
The commission has also removed 93 polling sites deemed outdated, inaccurately listed, or difficult for voters to access.
EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said the review was conducted to improve voter accessibility and correct long-standing issues such as incorrect station names, outdated addresses and impractical locations. Several booths have also been merged or relocated to more suitable sites, he added.
The rise in polling stations corresponds with a significant increase in the voter base. By November 21 — the final day for new registrations — 8,37,094 new voters had been enrolled. Nepal had 18.16 million eligible voters during the last general election in 2022.
Meanwhile, 120 political parties have applied for registration for the March 5 polls, with Sunday being the final day for submissions.
Major parties filing applications include the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML, the Nepali Communist Party, Rastriya Swotantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and the Ujyalo Nepal Party.
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Dozens of new parties have emerged following the announcement of the election date, driven largely by the Gen Z movement that led to the ouster of the K. P. Sharma Oli-led government.
The Election Commission said it will publish the final list of registered parties after completing scrutiny of all applications in the coming days.
