JANAKPUR: A total of 58 Gen Z candidates are contesting the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5 in Madhesh Province. Of them, two are women and 56 are men. Election Commission data show that 41 of these Gen Z candidates are running as independents, while 12 are affiliated with political parties.

Former minister Kulman Ghising’s Ujyalo Nepal Party has nominated three Gen Z candidates: 26-year-old Shrawan Paswan from Siraha constituency 3, as well as 28-year-old Manoj Kumar Gupta from Mahottari constituency 1, and 25-year-old Ramakant Prasad Patel from Rautahat constituency 2.

Similarly, CK Raut’s Janamat Party has nominated three Gen Z candidates: 27-year-old Birendra Mahato from Mahottari-1, as well as 28-year-old Sonu Kushwaha from Rautahat-2, and 28-year-old Ram Kalyan Raut from Rautahat-4. Meanwhile, former Dharan mayor Harka Sampang’s Shram Sanskriti Party has fielded two Gen Z candidates: 26-year-old Pankaj Kumar Thakur in Siraha-4 and 28-year-old Wasim Shaikh in Parsa-1.

Campaigning for the election in the Siraha constituency. Photo: Birendra Raman

Madhesh affairs expert Awadhesh Kamat states that while the same faces from old parties were repeated in every previous election, that trend has been broken to some extent this time.

“Extreme despair towards politics had arisen among the youth, but in this election, it seems the parties have tried to understand the importance of youth to some extent. This time, the candidacy of Gen Z youth in Madhesh has created new excitement,” said Kamat.

Compared to new parties, the number of Gen Z youth candidates from old parties is minimal. The CPN (UML) has fielded 27-year-old Amanish Kumar Yadav, son of former Member of Parliament Shivpujan Yadav, in Sarlahi-4. Candidates in this constituency include Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leader Amaresh Kumar Singh, and others.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party has brought forward 28-year-old Bablu Gupta in Siraha-1. Before becoming a candidate, he was the Minister for Youth and Sports. He had resigned from the ministerial post to contest the election.

The Nepali Communist Party, led by former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has fielded 27-year-old Ajay Kushwaha in Bara-4. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has fielded 27-year-old Ajay Kumar Das in Saptari-2, and the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party has fielded Nilam Kumari Yadav in Saptari-2.

Campaigning for the election in the Siraha constituency

Bijay Chaudhary, a youth activist active in Janakpur, says that due to the changes brought by the Gen Z protest that occurred on September 8 and 9, 2025, a significant number of Gen Z youth have been successful in becoming candidates from Madhesh Province.

In the past, we were told that we were too young, that our time would come later. This time, however, youth have also begun to receive priority. That shift was driven by the Gen Z protest,” Chaudhary added.

Another youth activist, Baliram Sah, says that the debate of ‘leadership for those whose issues are at stake’ has become meaningful to some extent this time while selecting candidates.

“If Gen Z representatives are elected in the House of Representatives election, the voice of youth will find a place in the Parliament,” Sah added.

Indeed, the Gen Z youth who have become candidates through political parties and as independents have brought forward good governance and development as the main issues in the upcoming election.

Birendra Mahato filing his candidacy for the election from Mahottari constituency No. 1

“Since young people are capable of leading a new era, I entered the election to ensure their representation in Parliament is as strong as possible,” Bablu Gupta, who became an RSP candidate from Siraha-1 after resigning from his ministerial post, said. “With a higher number of Gen Z candidates this time, youth representation in Parliament will also increase, and the country will begin to feel a real sense of change.”

Birendra Mahato, 27, a Janamat Party candidate from Mahottari-1, said decades of misrule by older leaders have deprived people of development and prosperity.

“We entered the election to challenge misgovernance and with a clear agenda of good governance and development,” Mahato said.

Amanish Kumar Yadav, the 27-year-old CPN (UML) candidate from Sarlahi-4, says that since the number of Gen Z among the candidates contesting from parties and as independents in Madhesh is significant this time, it has awakened new hope in the voters.

“If young people can change the government from the streets, they can also change people’s lives from Parliament. Political parties must now entrust leadership to the youth so they can prove themselves through action,” Amnish said.