On Thursday morning, Nepal’s interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki cast her ballot at the Dhapasi polling centre, marking the official start of Nepal’s 2026 general election. For Karki, it was the closing moment of a six-month chapter that began after one of the biggest youth-led uprisings in the country’s history.
“My duty is completed,” she told reporters after voting. This short line summed up months of crisis management, political rebuilding, and promises of reform.
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A nation voting after months of chaos
The 2026 election did not arrive through the usual political calendar. It was triggered by the explosive Gen Z Movement, youth-driven uprising that erupted in September 2025.
Thousands of young protesters poured into streets accusing political leaders of corruption, nepotism, misuse of power. The protests quickly grew intense and eventually forced then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to step down.
Soon after, the political system faced a vacuum. The House of Representatives was dissolved, and Nepal needed a neutral figure to guide the country through a temporary transition before fresh elections.
That is when an unexpected name surfaced, Sushila Karki.
From Chief Justice to Interim Prime Minister
Karki was already a historic figure in Nepal’s political and judicial landscape. She previously served as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal from 2016 to 2017, becoming first woman to hold that role.
But in September 2025, her career took an even more dramatic turn.
After the protests forced Oli out of office, activists searching for a politically neutral leader suggested Karki as a temporary head of government. In an unusual move, members of the protest movement conducted a poll on the online platform Discord to choose among several candidates.
Karki emerged as the preferred choice.
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Following negotiations involving political actors and the Nepalese army, her appointment was approved. On September 12, President Ram Chandra Poudel dissolved the Federal Parliament on Karki’s recommendation.
Soon after, she was sworn in as interim Prime Minister under Article 61 of Nepal’s constitution.
The moment made history: Karki became the first woman ever to serve both as Nepal’s Prime Minister and Chief Justice.
Promises of peace and clean governance
When Karki took her oath, the country was still tense after weeks of unrest.
She promised to restore calm, improve governance, fight corruption, and most importantly hold free and fair elections within six months.
The elections were scheduled for March 2026, the very polls that began Thursday morning.
In the same announcement, she also declared that those who lost their lives during the protests would be officially recognised as “martyrs,” acknowledging the heavy price paid during the uprising.
Meeting the injured protesters
Just one day after taking office, Karki made a symbolic visit that caught public attention.
On September 13, she went to hospitals across Kathmandu to meet protesters who had been injured during the demonstrations. She spoke with them personally, expressed solidarity, and promised government support for their recovery.
Soon after, Karki announced financial assistance for those affected during the protests.
The government promised NPR 1 million, roughly $7,000, as compensation for injured protesters.
However, families of people who died during the unrest said that more meaningful recognition and long-term support were needed to truly honour the sacrifices made during the movement.
Tough administrative decisions
Karki’s short tenure was not only about symbolism. She also took several strong administrative decisions.
On September 25, she announced that poorly planned government projects initiated by the previous administration would be abandoned.
At the same time, she launched a reconstruction fund to repair infrastructure damaged during the protests.
Roads, buildings, and public facilities had suffered heavy destruction during weeks of demonstrations, and the government needed resources to rebuild.
Legal challenges begin
But not everyone supported Karki’s actions.
By October 15, at least 14 writ petitions had been filed in the Supreme Court challenging decisions taken by the interim government.
Legal critics questioned some of her emergency measures and the authority exercised during the transitional period.
Now, as Nepalese voters line up at polling centres across the country, Karki’s role is slowly coming to an end.
Her six-month mission was simple but enormous: hold the country together and organise fresh elections.
The dramatic protests, the sudden resignation of a prime minister, the rise of a former judge as interim leader, and now a national election; Nepal has moved through a whirlwind political cycle.
And on a calm Thursday morning in Dhapasi, Sushila Karki marked the end of her journey with one simple act: casting her vote.