Kathmandu, October 20: The Gagan Thapa-led Nepali Congress (NC) has elected Thapa as its new president, marking a generational shift in the leadership of one of Nepal’s oldest political parties. However, despite the rise of a younger-generation leader, the party has failed to embrace electronic voting in its internal election.
The NC’s decision to rely on traditional paper ballots meant that the counting process took several days, with the final result of the presidential election announced only after counting continued overnight. Thapa secured 6,584 votes, defeating his rival, Shyam Krishna Khadgi, who received 375 votes. The results were announced on October 10, 2026.
The contrast with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), or CPN-UML, is striking. The UML used 80 electronic voting machines at its 11th General Convention in December 2025.
The question, therefore, is not simply whether electronic voting is technologically possible, but whether political parties are willing to modernise their internal democratic processes. Electronic voting, if properly tested and supported by transparent verification procedures, could reduce the time required for counting, accelerate the announcement of results and improve administrative efficiency.
For a party led by a politician associated with a younger generation and the promise of political renewal, the NC’s continued reliance on paper ballots raises questions about its commitment to institutional reform. Modernisation should extend beyond leadership and rhetoric to the practical functioning of the party itself.
Nepal’s political parties need to demonstrate that they can adapt to technological advances while safeguarding the credibility, transparency and integrity of elections. The NC’s experience offers an opportunity to review its electoral procedures and consider a reliable electronic voting system for future conventions. A younger leader alone does not make a party modern; modern institutions, transparent practices and a willingness to embrace change do.
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