'March 5 Polls Or Protest March On Streets': Nepal's Prachanda Issues Warning

Last Updated:December 20, 2025, 22:48 IST

The coordinator of the recently formed Nepali Communist Party (NCP) accused 'regressive forces' of attempting to sabotage the electoral process

Protesters celebrate standing at the top of the Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal's government's various ministries and offices, after it was set on fire during a protest against social media ban and corruption in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025. (Pic/AP)

In a direct challenge to the current political transition, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, popularly known as “Prachanda", warned on Saturday that his newly unified party would launch a nationwide street agitation if the scheduled March 5 Nepal general election is delayed. Addressing a gathering in Kathmandu, the coordinator of the recently formed Nepali Communist Party (NCP)—now the largest Communist grouping in the country—accused “regressive forces" of attempting to sabotage the electoral process to maintain the status quo.

The warning comes at a time of extreme volatility for Nepal. Following the “Gen Z Revolution" in September 2025, which saw the torrid resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and the burning of several government buildings, including Parliament, the country has been under the stewardship of a caretaker government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki. The interim administration’s primary mandate is to conduct the midterm polls on March 5, 2026, to restore constitutional order.

Prachanda’s aggressive stance is underpinned by the recent consolidation of the left. In November 2025, nine leftist factions, including the CPN (Maoist Centre) and the CPN (Unified Socialist), merged to form the NCP. This merger was a strategic response to the youth-led protests that had successfully branded the traditional political elite as “failed" and “corrupt". By uniting under a single banner, Prachanda and co-coordinator Madhav Kumar Nepal hope to regain the trust of a disillusioned electorate, specifically targeting the influential Gen Z demographic.

The former Prime Minister emphasised that any pretext—whether related to security concerns, the ongoing pro-monarchy demonstrations, or administrative hurdles—would not be accepted as a valid reason for postponement. He argued that the “achievements of the republic" are under threat from an alliance of right-wing elements and “failed status-quoists" who fear a left-wing resurgence. Prachanda’s rhetoric reflects the high stakes of the upcoming ballot; for his party, the March 5 election is not just a quest for power but a battle for political survival in a landscape increasingly dominated by independent youth voices and calls for a directly elected executive.

As the Election Commission races against time to register nearly 150 political parties and finalise voter lists, the threat of renewed street violence looms large. Prachanda’s ultimatum signals that the “honeymoon period" of the caretaker government is over, and the path to the March polls will be marked by intense pressure from a re-energised, unified Communist front.

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