General elections were held in Nepal on 20 November 2022 to elect the 275 members of the House of Representatives. There were two ballots in the election; one to elect 165 members from single-member constituencies via FPTP, and the other to elect the remaining 110 members from a single nation-wide constituency via party-list proportional representation.
The election was held alongside provincial elections for the seven provincial assemblies.
After power sharing talks between the outgoing Democratic Left Alliance broke down on 25 December 2022, CPN (Maoist Centre) chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal became prime minister, its eight-member cabinet consisting of MPs from his party, CPN (UML), Rastriya Swatantra Party and Janamat Party, with the confidence and supply of RPP, JSP, NUP and three independents.
Background The 5th House of Representatives elected in 2017 had a five-year term ending in March 2023. In May 2018, the CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and CPN (Maoist Centre) parties merged to form the Nepal Communist Party. The merger between the two coalition partners took their total strength in the House of Representatives to 174. The leaders of the two parties had an agreement to share the post of Prime Minister with the CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) chairman K. P. Sharma Oli handing over the post to Maoist Centre chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal after two and a half years. On 20 November 2019, the two leaders agreed to let Oli complete his full term as prime minister. In a secretariat meeting of the Nepal Communist Party on 14 November 2020, Dahal presented a political document which accused Oli not following party orders and being individualistic. In response to Dahal, Oli rejected Dahal's accusations and presented his own political document which accused Dahal of not letting Oli run the government. As the strife within the party continued, Oli requested President Bidya Devi Bhandari to dissolve the House of Representatives on 20 December 2020 as a no-confidence motion was being prepared against him. In protest of the decision by Oli, seven ministers of the cabinet resigned.
The House of Representatives was reinstated on 23 February 2021 but on 7 March 2021, deciding on a separate writ, the Supreme Court annulled the decision of the Election Commission to grant the name Nepal Communist Party to the party created by merger of the CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and CPN (Maoist Centre), and positioned them to their pre merger status. The CPN (Maoist Centre) withdrew its support from the government on 5 May 2021 and Oli failed to obtain a vote of confidence while a faction of his own party boycotted the vote.
On 13 May 2021, Oli was appointed minority prime minister as the leader of the party in parliament with the highest seats. Rather than retake a vote of confidence, Oli started the process of formation of government through provision of Article 76(5), which was challenged in the Supreme Court. Sher Bahadur Deuba claimed signed support of 149 MPs, including 26 from the CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and 13 from the People's Socialist Party, Nepal. Oli claimed support of all MPs of the CPN (UML) and the People's Socialist Party, Nepal. President Bhandari decided on 22 May 2021 that both claims were inadequate and announced the dissolution of the House of Representatives, leading to widespread opposition. On 12 July 2021, the Supreme Court ruled the dissolution of parliament invalid, while ordering the appointment of Deuba as prime minister, as per article 76(5), by submitting 149 signatures to the President, which is a majority of 271 members present in the House of Representatives.
A cabinet meeting on 4 August 2022 decided on holding the next general election on 20 November 2022. The House of Representatives was finally dissolved on 18 September 2022 after the completion of its five-year term.
Timetable The key dates are listed below:
4 AugustLast date to register to be on electoral roll4 AugustCabinet announces election date16 AugustLast day for party registration at Election Commission17 SeptemberTenure of Legislature parliament ended19 SeptemberParties submit preliminary closed list for proportional representation28 SeptemberElection code of conduct starts9 OctoberCandidate nomination for first past the post26 OctoberClosed list for proportional representation finalized and published20 NovemberElection day14 DecemberFinal results announced15 DecemberFinal results presented to President
Electoral system The 275 members of the legislature are elected by two methods; 165 are elected from single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting and 110 seats are elected by closed list proportional representation from a single nationwide constituency.Article 84 Constitution of Nepal Voters receive separate ballot papers for the two methods. A party or electoral alliance has to pass the election threshold of 3% of the overall valid vote to be allocated a seat in the proportional vote. Nepal uses the Sainte-Laguë method to allocate proportional seats.
Voting is limited to Nepali citizens aged 18 or over of sound mind and not having been declared ineligible under federal election fraud and punishment laws.
Eligibility to vote To vote in the general election, one must be: on the electoral roll aged 18 or over on 19 December 2022 a citizen of Nepal of sound mind not ineligible as per federal election fraud and punishment laws
Pre-election arrangement PartyIdeology2017 resultSeats at dissolutionVotes (%)SeatsCPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist)Marxism–LeninismPeople's Multiparty Democracy30.68Nepali CongressSocial democracyDemocratic socialism35.75CPN (Maoist Centre)Marxism–Leninism–Maoism–Prachanda Path13.66CPN (Unified Socialist)Marxism–LeninismPeople's Multiparty DemocracyNew partyPeople's Socialist Party, NepalDemocratic socialismRJPN4.95FSFN4.93Naya Shakti0.86Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, NepalSocial democracyNew partyNepal Socialist PartyDemocratic socialismNew partyRastriya Prajatantra PartyConstitutional monarchismEconomic liberalismHindu nationalismRPP2.06RPP(D)0.93URPP(N)0.30People's Progressive PartySocial democracyAgrarianismNew partyRastriya JanamorchaAnti-FederalismCommunismMarxism–Leninism0.65Nepal Workers' and Peasants' PartyMarxism–Leninism0.59Independent——
Electoral alliances and parties
Democratic Left Alliance The coalition government of Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN (Unified Socialist), People's Socialist Party and Rastriya Janamorcha decided to form an alliance to contest the parliamentary elections on 5 August 2022. Later on August 15, Nepal Socialist Party led by former prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai decided to contest the election under the election symbol and manifesto of CPN (Maoist Centre). On October 9, on the deadline of the candidate nominations, People's Socialist Party broke away from the alliance and the alliance decided to support Loktantrik Samajwadi Party in 7 seats. The alliance also supported Ghanashyam Bhusal in Rupandehi 1 and Prabhu Sah in Rautahat 3 who ran as dissident candidates from CPN (UML) from seats allotted to CPN (Maoist Centre). After the candidacy of Raju Gurung of Unified Socialist was scrapped by the Election Commission, the alliance decided to support Rastriya Janamukti Party candidate Keshav Bahadur Thapa in Rupandehi 2. Rastriya Janamorcha however decided to support the candidate from Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party. PartySymbolLeaderLeader's SeatSeats contestedMale candidatesFemale candidates1.Nepali CongressSher Bahadur DeubaDadeldhura 1918652.Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre)Pushpa Kamal DahalGorkha 2463883.Nepal Socialist PartyBaburam BhattaraiNone4.Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist)Madhav Kumar NepalRautahat 1201915.Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Nepal Mahantha ThakurMahottari 3514836.Rastriya JanamorchaChitra Bahadur K.C.Baglung 1211Total16515213
CPN (UML) + People's Socialist Party CPN (UML) decided to support People's Socialist Party in 7 seats on 9 October 2022. The CPN (UML) also decided to support Rastriya Prajtantra Party candidates in Jhapa 5, Rupandehi 1 and Banke 2 and decided to field Rastriya Prajtantra Party Nepal chairman Kamal Thapa in Makwanpur 1 under their election symbol. The party also supported dissident candidate from Nepali Congress, Dinesh Koirala in Chitwan 3, Karna Bahadur Malla of Nepali Congress (B.P.) in Dadeldhura 1 and Hridayesh Tripathi of the People's Progressive Party in Parasi 1. PartySymbolLeaderLeader's SeatSeats contestedMale candidatesFemale candidates1.Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)KP Sharma Oli Jhapa 5141130112.Nepal Pariwar DalEk Nath DhakalParty list4.People's Socialist Party, NepalUpendra YadavSaptari 279727Total15814711
Others PartySymbolLeaderLeader's SeatSeats contestedMale candidatesFemale candidatesRastriya Prajatantra PartyRajendra Prasad LingdenJhapa 31401328Rastriya Prajatantra Party NepalKamal ThapaMakawanpur 1[./2022_Nepalese_general_election#cite_note-Kamal-52 [d]]58526Rastriya Swatantra PartyRabi LamichhaneChitwan 213111912Nepal Workers' and Peasants' PartyNarayan Man BijukchheNone1099712Janamat PartyC. K. RautSaptari 254522Nagarik Unmukti PartyRanjeeta ShresthaKailali 130273People's Progressive PartyHridayesh TripathiParasi 115141Bibeksheel Sajha PartySamikchya BaskotaNone770Nepal Sushasan PartyRamesh Prasad KharelKathmandu 1981Nepal Naulo Janbadi PartyGanga Lal ShresthaKavrepalanchok 2110Nepal Aama PartyRom Lal GiriParty list963Sachet Nepali PartyPunya Prasad PrasainKathmandu 2770Terai Madhesh Loktantrik PartyBrikhesh Chandra LalMahottari 3220Hamro Nepali PartyAnant Raj GhimireParty list62584
2017–2022 MPs contesting under a different political affiliation Outgoing MP2017 party2017 constituency2022 party2022 constituencyGauri Shankar ChaudharyCPN (Maoist Centre)Kailali 3CPN (UML)Kailali 3Top Bahadur RayamajhiArghakhanchi 1Arghakhanchi 1Lekh Raj BhattaKailali 4Kailali 4Uma Shankar AgrariyaFederal Socialist ForumDhanusha 2Dhanusha 2Ruhi NaazParty listParty listIqbal MiyaRastriya Janata Party NepalBara 4Bara 4Amrita AgrahariParty listParty listChanda ChaudharyParty listNepali CongressParty listRenuka GurungFederal Socialist ForumParty listRastriya Prajatantra PartyParty listParbata DC ChaudharyNepali CongressParty listNagrik Unmukti PartyParty listHridayesh TripathiCPN (UML)Parasi 1People's Progressive PartyParasi 1Ganga SatgauwaParty listHamro Nepali PartyDang 1Rambir ManandharKathmandu 7IndependentKathmandu 7Ghanashyam BhusalRupandehi 3Rupandehi 1Amresh Kumar SinghNepali CongressSarlahi 4Sarlahi 4Prabhu SahCPN (Maoist Centre)Rautahat 3Rautahat 3Sarita GiriFederal Socialist ForumParty listSiraha 1
2017–2022 MPs not standing for re-election
CPN (UML)
Bhim Bahadur Rawal Khagaraj Adhikari Kedar Sigdel Pabitra Niraula Kharel Jaya Kumar Rai Parbat Gurung Ganesh Kumar Pahadi Krishna Prasad Dahal Jagat Bahadur Bishwakarma Bhupendra Bahadur Thapa Dal Bahadur Rana Nanda Lal Rokka Chhetri Raj Bahadur Budhathoki Nawaraj Rawat Lal Bahadur Thapa Bhairav Bahadur Singh Tham Maya Thapa Kumari Tulsi Thapa Mohan Baniya Radha Kumari Gyawali Binda Pandey Goma Devkota Man Kumari GC Mayadevi Neupane Bishnu Sharma Sarita Neupane Maina Kumari Bhandari Tirtha Gautam Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe Sujata Shakya Bina Kumari Shrestha Nabina Lama Shanti Maya Tamang Kumari Meche Bimala Bishwakarma Bimala BK Sanu Shiva Aasha Kumari BK Motilal Dugad Sarita Kumari Giri Rekha Kumari
Nepali Congress
Karma Ghale Lalkaji Gurung Jeep Tshering Lama Pramila Rai Mahendra Kumari Limbu Hira Gurung Mina Subba Divyamani Rajbhandari Satya Narayan Sharma Mohan Panday Ram Bahadur Bista Dila Sangraula Meena Pandey Uma Regmi Rangmati Shahi Gyan Kumari Chhantyal Namita Kumari Chaudhary Smriti Narayan Chaudhary Man Bahadur Bishwakarma Min Bahadur Bishwakarma Prakash Rasaili Sujata Pariyar Laxmi Pariyar Bimala Nepali Atahar Kamal Musalman Sarbat Aara Khanam Minendra Rijal