The 2022 Nepalese local elections were held on 13 May 2022 in 6 metropolitan cities, 11 sub-metropolitan cities, 276 municipalities and 460 rural municipalities. These were the second set of local-level elections to be held since the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015. From the local election result Nepali Congress has become the single largest party of Nepal followed by CPN (UML) and Maoist Centre.
Electoral system Each local body has an elected head, a chair for rural municipalities and a mayor for municipalities. They also have a deputy head, a deputy chair for rural municipalities and a deputy mayor for municipalities. Local levels are further subdivided into wards which have a ward chairperson and four members out of which two must be female with one of them from the Dalit community. The Chairperson/Mayor and a Deputy chairperson/Deputy Mayor are chosen by voters of the entire local level while Ward Chairperson and Ward Members are chosen by voters of the concerned ward. A single ballot is used for voting and First past the post electoral system is used to select the winner.
Local Level Type Choice Metropolitan City Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Ward Chairperson, 4 Ward members per ward Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Ward Chairperson, 4 Ward members per ward Municipality Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Ward Chairperson, 4 Ward members per ward Rural Municipality Chairperson, deputy chairperson, Ward Chairperson, 4 Ward members per ward
Qualification for candidates According to Part 17 of the Constitution, a person who meets the following criteria is qualified to become a candidate for various elected offices of the local level:Part 17 Constitution of Nepal
citizen of Nepal, completed the age of twenty one years, registered voters of concerned local level, and not being disqualified by any Federal law,
DatePollsterPartyMayor and ChairpersonDeputy mayor and Deputy chairpersonWard chairmanIncrease or Decrease10 May 2022SetopatiCongress295-317288-3092462-2607UML235-253241-2642085-2299Maoist Centre76-10572-99970-1130CPN (US)35-4339-47290-370PSP-N24-3223-29200-245RPP13-2211-1582-104LSP-N12-1714-1989-119Ind6-91-592-118RJM2-42-331-46NMKP1-21-218-23-/Janamat2-51-314-20PPP0-30-212-21PFP0-20-19-16Others0-20-131-47-Total7537536742
Exit poll
Mayor/Chairperson post DatePollsterPartyProvince 1Madhesh provinceBagmati provinceGandaki provinceLumbini provinceKarnali provinceSudurpaschim provinceTotal13 May 2022ABC TelevisionCongress60-7045-5040-4446-5038-4220-2342-47292-326UML36-4023-2443-5023-2529-3013-1618-23185-209Maoist Centre15-1616-1818-205-820-2527-3317-20118-142PSP-N2-427-34 -2-39-15 -1-241-59CPN (US)1-22-42-3 -1-25-72-413-23LSP-N1-28-12 - -1-2 -1-211-18RJM - - -23 - -5RPP2-30-11-2 -0-1 -0-13-8Others/Independent -1-21-2 -1-21-21-26-10High competition2015147613681Total137136119851097888753
Results === Overall Results === Parties Mayor/Chair Deputy mayor/chair Ward chair Ward members Total Nepali Congress 329 300 2,668 10,476 13,773 CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) 206 241 2,137 9,345 11,929 CPN (Maoist Centre) 121 128 1,053 3,743 5,045 People's Socialist Party, Nepal30312951,193 1,548 CPN (Unified Socialist) 20 23 190 754 987 Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Nepal1612103 450 581 Rastriya Prajatantra Party4462 235 305 Rastriya Janamorcha4326126 159 Nagrik Unmukti Party4314 78 99 Janamat Party211974 96 Nepal Workers Peasants Party1119 64 85People's Progressive Party1141622Bibeksheel Sajha Party112711 Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party1038 12Nepal Janata Party002810Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch00279Nepali Congress (B.P.)00257Nepal Loktantrik Party00167Rastriya Janamukti Party0016 7Bahujan Shakti Party00156Bahujan Ekata Party Nepal00145Nepal Susashan Party00134CPN Maoist Socialist00022Nepal Sadbhawana Party00011 Independents134137232 385 Total 753 753 6,743 26,848 35,097Source: Election Commission of Nepal
By province
Province 1 Parties Mayor/Chairperson Deputy mayor/chairperson Ward chair Ward members Total Nepali Congress69464701,7612,346 CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)47634762,2002,786 CPN (Maoist Centre)1219127401559 CPN (Unified Socialist)252075102 People's Socialist Party, Nepal222088112 Rastriya Prajatantra Party22144361Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch00279Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Nepal00145Rastriya Janamukti Party00145 Independents30263968 Total 137 137 1,157 4,6226,053Source: Election Commission of Nepal
Madhesh Province PartyMayor/ChairpersonDeputy mayor/chairpersonWard chairWard membersTotal Nepali Congress46564181,6762,196 CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)30272741,1361,467 People's Socialist Party, Nepal25262269311,208 Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Nepal141087372483 CPN (Maoist Centre)99139523680 CPN (Unified Socialist)6580310401 Janamat Party21134662Bibeksheel Sajha Party112711 Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party103812 Rastriya Prajatantra Party0062430Bahujan Ekata Party Nepal00145Nepal Loktantrik Party00145Nepal Janata Party00145Nepal Susashan Party00134Bahujan Shakti Party00011Nepal Sadbhwana Party00011 Independents21192850 Total 136 136 1,271 5,0786,621Source: Election Commission of Nepal
Bagmati Province PartiesMayor/ChairpersonDeputy mayor/chairpersonWard chairWard membersTotalNepali Congress58504881,9142,510CPN (Maoist Centre)2730204707968CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)26343591,6362,055CPN (Unified Socialist)542583117Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party11124054Rastriya Prajatantra Party10144762People's Socialist Party, Nepal00123Independents10181837Total1191191,1214,4475,806Source: Election Commission of Nepal
Gandaki Province PartyMayor/ChairpersonDeputy mayor/chairpersonWard chairWard members TotalNepali Congress36313511,3061,724CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)35332841,2791,631CPN (Maoist Centre)111989303422Rastriya Janamorcha21104659CPN (Unified Socialist)1031620People's Socialist Party, Nepal0031215Rastriya Prajatantra Party0011011Rastriya Janamukti Party00011Independents01183554Total85857593,0083,937Source: Election Commission of Nepal
Lumbini Province PartiesMayor/ChairpersonDeputy mayor/chairpersonWard chairWard members TotalNepali Congress48443751,5161,983CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)27403141,3151,696CPN (Maoist Centre)2515170621831People's Socialist Party, Nepal3343153202Rastriya Janamorcha221680100Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Nepal22157493Rastriya Prajatantra Party122184108People's Progressive Party, Nepal1141622Janamat Party0062834CPN (Unified Socialist)0041216Bahujan Shakti Party00145Nepal Janata Party00145Rastriya Janamukti Party00011Independents00132437Total1091099833,9325,133Source: Election Commission of Nepal
Karnali Province PartyMayor/ChairpersonDeputy mayor/chairpersonWard chairWard membersTotalNepali Congress32272539441,256CPN (Maoist Centre)23252238551,126CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)15201848181,037CPN (Unified Socialist)4630140180Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party0072431Rastriya Prajatantra Party0011011CPN Maoist Socialist00022Independents51204268Total79797182,8353,711Source: Election Commission of Nepal
Sudurpaschim Province PartiesMayor/ChairpersonDeputy mayor/chairpersonWard chairWard members TotalNepali Congress40463131,3591,758CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)26242469611,257CPN (Maoist Centre)1411101333459Nagrik Unmukti Party43147899CPN (Unified Socialist)2328118151Rastriya Prajatantra Party0051722People's Socialist Party, Nepal00279Nepali Congress (B.P.)00257Nepal Loktantrik Party00022Independents21234672Total88887342,9263,836Source: Election Commission of Nepal
Major cities Metropolitan cities CityDistrictProvinceOutgoing mayorElected mayorDetailsBiratnagarMorangProvince No. 1Bheem Parajuli (Congress) Naagesh Koirala (Congress)DetailsBirgunjParsaMadheshVijaya Kumar Sarawagi (FSFN)Rajesh Man Singh (PSPN)DetailsLalitpurLalitpurBagmatiChiri Babu Maharjan (Congress) Chiri Babu Maharjan (Congress)DetailsBharatpurChitwanRenu Dahal (Maoist Centre)Renu Dahal (Maoist Centre)DetailsKathmanduKathmanduBidya Sundar Shakya (UML)Balendra Shah (Independent)DetailsPokharaKaskiGandakiMan Bahadur GC (UML)Dhanraj Acharya (Socialist)Details
Sub-metropolitan cities CityDistrictProvinceOutgoing mayorElected mayorDetailsDharanSunsariProvince No. 1Tilak Rai (Congress) Harka Raj Rai (Independent)DetailsItahariDwarika Lal Chaudhary (UML)Hem Karna Paudel (Congress)DetailsJanakpurDhanushaMadheshLal Kishor Sah (RJPN)Manoj Kumar Sah (Independent)DetailsKalaiyaBaraRajesh Raya Yadav (Congress) Binod Prasad Shah (UML)DetailsJitpursimaraKrishna Prasad Paudel (UML)Rajan Paudel (Maoist Centre)DetailsHetaudaMakwanpurBagmatiHari Bahadur Mahat (UML)Mina Kumari Lama (Socialist)DetailsButwalRupandehiLumbiniShiva Raj Subedi (UML)Khel Raj Panday (Congress)DetailsTulsipurDangGhana Shyam Pandey (UML)Tika Ram Adhikari (UML)DetailsGhorahiNaru Lal Chaudhary (UML)Naru Lal Chaudhary (UML)DetailsNepalgunjBankeDhawal Shamsher Rana (RPP)Prashant Bista (Congress)DetailsDhangadhiKailaliSudurpashchimNrip Bahadur Wad (Congress) Gopal Hamal (Independent)Details
Incidents The Election Commission of Nepal sought clarification from CPN (Maoist Centre) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the wife of prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, Arzu Rana Deuba for violating the code of conduct during their election rally.
The chairman of the Muslim Commission Samim Miya Ansari was caught in Janakpurdham during the silence period of election campaigning for trying to buy votes for independent candidate Janakiram Sah and Surendra Bhandari, the chair of the Janakpur committee of CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) was also arrested for trying to buy votes. Ansari later accused UML leaders Raghubir Mahasheth and Julie Kumari Mahato of framing him.
During election day, the commission fined former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai NPR 15,000 for breaking the code of conduct by tweeting a picture of his ballot paper. In Vyas municipality in Tanahun, independent candidate, Deepak Raj Joshi, son of former Nepali Congress leader Govinda Raj Joshi, sustained injuries to the head after being beaten up by cadres of Nepali Congress. After clashes broke out between cadres of People's Socialist Party, Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) in Yamunamai Rural Municipality in Rautahat, a former police constable ran away with the ballot box in the ensuing chaos and voting was suspended. He was later arrested.
According to the National Human Rights Commission voting was suspended in different parts of the country due to clashes between supporters of different political parties. The Election Commission of Nepal reported that voting was suspended in 79 polling centres on May 13.
After accusations of booth capturing by CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) in Budhiganga Rural Municipality in Bajura, Nepali Congress demanded that a re-election be held. The Election Commission later agreed with the demands and a re-election was held on 7 July.
See also List of chairpersons of rural municipalities in Nepal List of mayors of municipalities in Nepal Elections in Nepal
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