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Nepal Tourism Board has provided a free shuttle bus service to help domestic and international passengers travel during the election. The service is aimed at travelers using Tribhuvan International Airport.

The buses will operate from 5am to 7pm across major areas of the Kathmandu Valley. The board said the service is intended to reduce possible travel difficulties on election day and ensure passengers reach the airport on time.

Multiple routes will connect tourist hubs, hotels and key city locations with the airport. Acting Director Sunil Sharma urged travelers to use the shuttle service for safe and convenient movement during the polls.

Residents affected by Banke National Park have boycotted voting in parts of Dang District during the House of Representatives election. Polling stations at Deuti Secondary School in Babai Rural Municipality-7 and Janata Basic School in Babai-1 remained deserted with no voters as of 10:30am.

Polling officer Chiranjivi Khadka said none of the 682 registered voters at the Deuti Secondary School polling station had cast ballots. A similar situation was reported at Janata Basic School, which has 530 registered voters.

Local leaders from the National Park Affected Struggle Committee said residents decided to boycott the vote after their demands for relocation were not addressed. The affected communities say wildlife threats have increased since the area was declared a buffer zone around Banke National Park.

About 25 percent of voters had cast ballots by 10:30am in Jhapa Constituency No 5 during the House of Representatives election. The Returning Officer’s office said voting has been peaceful so far.

The constituency has drawn major attention due to a high-profile contest involving former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party Balen Shah. 

Election officials said a total of 163,379 voters are registered in the constituency.

The voting is being conducted peacefully and with great enthusiasm across all 10 electoral constituencies in Kathmandu. 

According to Ishwar Raj Paudel, the Chief District Officer of Kathmandu, voting is actively taking place at all 817 polling centers in the city during the elections for the House of Representatives. 

He mentioned that voters are engaging in the voting process with enthusiasm due to the assurance of high-level peace and security for the elections. 

The team led by CDO Paudel has commenced monitoring various polling locations throughout Kathmandu.

Voting under the House of Representatives (HoR) election-2026 has been underway since 7 am today. 

As the first voter at the Chapali polling center of Budhanikantha Municipality-2, 105-year-old Chandra Bahadur Khadka cast his vote. 

Khadka said he was very pleased to exercise his franchise at this age. "I wish the nation gets a competent and honest representative committed to the cause of the citizens." 

Nepali Congress President Gagan Kumar Thapa exercised his right to vote at the Mayurkunda Polling Centre at Maitidevi Temple in Kathmandu. 

Following his vote, he expressed his views, highlighting that the 'mandate' from this election would act as a framework for governing the country for the next five years. 

He voiced concerns regarding the possibility of prolonged political instability if the constitution strayed from its intended course. 

"This election was vital to realign the constitution," he stated. "Despite uncertainties regarding the election's execution, the voting process is unfolding smoothly throughout the country." 

The Nepali Congress has put forward President Thapa as a potential Prime Minister candidate. 

He is running for election from Sarlahi Constituency No-4. 

CPN-UML General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel cast his vote at the Janata Vidyapeeth polling center in Tulsipur Sub-Metropolitan City–19, Dang. 

According to election officer Ashok Chaudhary, UML General Secretary Pokhrel, who is a candidate for the House of Representatives from Dang Constituency-2, exercised his voting rights at the (A) polling center of the school. 

Similarly, election officer Ramesh Ghimire informed that Nepali Congress leader Deepak Giri, who is a candidate from Dang Constituency-3, cast his vote at the (A) polling center of Baibang Basic School in Dangisharan Rural Municipality–4.

Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Zhang Maoming held a meeting with Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday. 

During the meeting, they shared perspectives on enhancing bilateral relations and fostering cooperation between two countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. 

The Chinese Ambassador noted on social media that a comprehensive dialogue took place regarding bilateral relations with the Foreign Secretary Rai, leading to an agreement to further broaden mutual cooperation.