Reporting by Radio Nepal, Ujyaalo Nepal and Nepal News over the past two weeks points to a noticeable rise in youth candidates in Madhesh Province for the March 5 House of Representatives election.
According to figures attributed to the Election Commission, 58 candidates in Madhesh are under 30—often described as Gen‑Z—for FPTP seats. Of these, 41 are independents and 17 represent 12 political parties ranging from the Janamat Party and Ujyalo Nepal Party to CPN‑UML and Rastriya Swatantra Party. Yet only two of these youth candidates are women, underlining that generational change does not automatically fix gender imbalance.
Profiles from Dhanusha, Siraha, Mahottari and Rautahat districts show a mix of activists, local professionals and relatives of established leaders entering the race. Sociologists quoted in Ujyaalo Nepal note that many are motivated by frustration with "legacy" parties and seek to import protest‑style politics into parliament.
Whether these candidates can overcome organisational and financial disadvantages against older machines remains uncertain. Many run without strong party backing, and some face three‑ or four‑cornered contests against nationally known figures.
For voters in Madhesh and beyond, the youth surge forces a sharper question: is the demand for change about age alone, or about ideas, accountability and the capacity to work inside institutions that have often resisted reform?