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Kathmandu: Seventeen new political parties have applied for registration at the Election Commission (EC) to contest Nepal’s March 5 general elections, according to an official.

Of these, seven parties applied to the Election Commission after the election date was announced on September 12, whereas 10 parties applied before the announcement, EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said.

Two of the new parties have claimed that they represent the Gen Z protesters who toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led government last month.

President Ramchandra Paudel last month appointed former chief justice Sushila Karki as the caretaker Prime Minister after Oli of CPN-UML was forced to resign.

Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives (HoR) at the recommendation of PM Karki and announced that the fresh elections would be held on March 5, 2026.

With the new applications, the number of parties registered with the EC has reached 124.

The EC spokesperson said the electoral body is currently reviewing documents submitted by the newly registered parties for formal approval. The deadline for applying to register a new political party is November 16.

With the election date approaching, voter registration has also surged, with more than 85,000 new voters registered as of Friday.

The EC said that an average of 5,000 to 6,000 new voters are registering every day. Voter registration will continue until November 16.

Meanwhile, the EC has called for applications from national and international organisations interested in observing the general election. Interested organisations must submit their application and required documents to the Election Commission before November 12.