Kathmandu: The Election Commission (EC) today engaged in discussions with political parties in preparation for the National Assembly (NA) elections slated for January 25, 2026. The National Assembly serves as the upper house of the Federal Parliament.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the discussions took place at the EC Office in Kantipath and were attended by Officiating Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, other commissioners, and representatives from nationally recognized political parties represented in the NA, including the Nepali Congress, CPN (UML), and CPN (Maoist Centre).
During the meeting, EC Secretary Mahadev Pantha indicated that the election schedule would be announced following consultations with political parties on the technical aspects of the election. The law requires that the election of NA members be conducted at least 35 days before the expiration of the current members’ terms.
The tenure of 19 upper house members is set to conclude on March 5, 2026. Elections will be held for 18 members, while one member will be nominated by the President. The electoral college of the NA will comprise members of the Provincial Assembly, as well as the chairpersons, vice-chairpersons, mayors, and deputy mayors of local bodies within each province. Each Provincial Assembly member will have a voting weightage of 48, while each chairperson, vice-chairperson, mayor, and deputy mayor will have a voting weightage of 18.