From Paint to Pixels: How Nepal’s Election Campaigns Have Moved Online

There was a time when Nepal’s election season turned town walls into canvases for political slogans and candidate posters. Those days have faded. Political parties and candidates are now channeling their campaign energy—and their money—into social media, turning digital walls into the new battlegrounds for public attention.

From TikTok videos to paid Facebook Reels, promotional content has flooded Nepali social media feeds ahead of the House of Representatives elections scheduled for March 5. Candidates are investing heavily not only in content creation but also in boosting posts to reach a wider electorate. Reports show that thousands of dollars have been spent in the past 90 days alone.

Spending Thousands to Win Visibility

According to Meta Ads data from November 5 to February 2, the Gatishil Loktantrik Party topped the list of political advertisers on Facebook. The party spent $1,459 to promote 45 posts focusing on its agenda and candidate introductions.

Businessman and Buddha Air co-founder Birendra Bahadur Basnet, who leads the party, personally spent $630 on Facebook promotions through his secretariat’s page.

Similarly, Kulman Ghising’s Ujyalo Nepal Party has been one of the most active advertisers, running paid content from at least five pages. Its main page, Ujyalo Nepal Party–Parivartan, spent USD 1,266, while Ujyalo Nepal Official and Rastriya Parivartan Party Okhaldhunga spent USD 829 and USD 634, respectively. Another affiliated page, GenZ United Movement–Parivartan, used USD 368 for ads. In Kathmandu Constituency No. 5, Ujyalo’s candidate Shree Gurung spent USD 592 during the same period.

From the Nepali Congress, candidates Sunil Kumar Sharma and Nainsingh Mahar spent $348 and $338, respectively. Other prominent figures from the CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-UML, and JSP-Nepal have also redirected significant portions of their budgets toward paid social media advertising.

Why Political Campaigns Are Going Digital

Nepal’s 2021 census data shows that 73% of citizens use smartphones and nearly 38% have internet access. This demographic shift has motivated political actors to meet voters where they spend most of their time—online.

“Social media is a convenient way for candidates to communicate with the public quickly,” said political analyst Prof. Dr. Govind Man Singh Karki. “While newer parties are naturally more tech-friendly, even traditional parties are being forced to adapt.”

The Election Commission’s Watchful Eye

The Election Commission of Nepal has confirmed that it is closely monitoring digital campaign activities under its official Code of Conduct. Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai stated that money spent on social media advertisements will be factored into official election expenditure reports.

“It is no longer difficult to track digital ad spending,” Bhattarai said. “We are verifying whether the expenditures remain within the legal limits set for each constituency.”

Spending Limits Across Constituencies

For the upcoming 2026 elections, the Election Commission of Nepal has established tiered spending caps to account for the varying geographic and demographic realities of each constituency. Under these regulations, candidates in remote or less populated districts—such as Taplejung–1, Rolpa–1, Solukhumbu–1, and Humla–1—are restricted to a lower ceiling of approximately $15,000.

This tier is designed for regions where campaigning is logistically challenging but involves reaching a smaller total number of voters.

In more densely populated urban and suburban areas, the limits increase significantly. Constituencies in the capital, including Kathmandu 1, 3, 6, 7, and 8, have been assigned a mid-tier limit of approximately $17,000.

Meanwhile, larger or more complex administrative areas such as Kavre–1 and 2, Makwanpur–1 and 2, Bajhang–1, and Arghakhanchi–1 are permitted the highest expenditure, capped at approximately $22,000.