In the key battleground of Jhapa-5 – a constituency in Nepal’s eastern plains with the world’s highest peaks on the horizon – a head-to-head political fight dominating the campaign was already heating up.

The ousted former prime minister’s bid to return to power – 73-year-old Marxist leader KP Sharma Oli – is being challenged on his home turf by a rapper-turned-mayor casting himself as a symbol of youth-driven political change, 35-year-old Balendra Shah.

Both Oli and Shah kicked off campaigning in Jhapa on Monday, wooing voters to their cause.

“KP Oli is a need of this nation,” 66-year-old Jhapa resident Hima Karki, one of 163,000 voters in the constituency, a mix of towns and farming settlements, told AFP. “He is the saviour of the nation, and his victory from here is certain.”

Others were more doubtful of Oli’s return to power.

“Only the youth can bring change,” said Chhabi Khatiwoda, 33, a Jhapa resident who has switched his support from Oli to Shah, who has joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the fourth biggest in the last parliament.

“It is high time we all became politically aware and worked for a new Nepal.”

The youth-led protests in September were triggered by a brief social media ban but were fuelled by anger at economic stagnation and an ageing elite seen as out of touch.

Over two days in September, 77 people were killed, scores were injured, and hundreds of buildings were set on fire – including parliament, courts and a Hilton hotel – and Oli was ousted.

It was the Himalayan nation’s worst violence since a decade-long civil war ended in 2006.

“This election will draw the future of the country,” Sushila Karki, who is serving as interim prime minister until the March 5 vote, said ahead of the start of campaigning.

Young and old

Two weeks of campaigns will see a host of new, younger candidates promise to offer change, challenging veteran politicians who say they provide stability and security.

“Today is the first day,” Election Commission spokesman Prakash Nyupane told AFP, but said that the active participation of parties was “a good signal of a positive environment for the election”.

Shah, who first gained national attention through Nepal’s underground hip-hop scene, releasing songs that railed against corruption and inequality, cultivated a devoted following on social media

But Oli-loyalist Hima Karki said the election battle would not be won online.

“Others may win on social media but we will win in the real election,” he said.

Also in the race is Nepali Congress, the country’s oldest party.

It was once part of Oli’s coalition government but has elected a new leader since the uprising – 49‑year‑old Gagan Thapa.

And, at the other end of the spectrum from Gen Z politics, supporters of the ex‑king Gyanendra Shah, 78 – deposed in 2008, ending 240 years of monarchy – will also campaign.

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), which draws support from royalist nostalgia and frustration with mainstream politics, rallied thousands in Kathmandu on Friday as the ex-king drove through the streets waving from his car.

‘Way out’

Nearly 19 million people have registered to vote, including 800,000 taking part for the first time.

They will elect members to the 275-seat House of Representatives, the lower house, with 165 via a direct vote and 110 through proportional representation.

More than 3,400 candidates are competing in the direct vote, 30% aged under 40.

Campaign banners and party flags are already being strung up in towns, with a string of rallies planned as candidates seek to woo voters.

“This election is being conducted in a special condition,” former chief justice Karki said, as she oversaw polling preparations last week. “This has to give the country a way out.”

The Election Commission has said it is ready to hold the polls as planned despite concerns over weather conditions, as many high-altitude areas may be snowbound that early in the year.

The vote is being held unusually early in the year, due to an accelerated election schedule brought on by the September unrest.

Extra security forces have been drafted to ensure calm, with around 300,000 officers and temporary election police deployed.