Lower thirds:

00:02 Report by / Adil Bhat & Richard Kujur
00:36 Kamal Subedi / Janadesh Party Nepal
02:09 Lokendra Khadka
03:19 Prakash Rimal / Former editor of The Himalayan Times

Script:

00:01 - 00:15
Nepal is heading into one of its most closely watched elections in years — one that could reshape its political future.

But this time, the momentum isn’t coming from established political heavyweights.

It’s coming from the streets.

00:17 - 00:31
Last September, Kamal Subedi was leading Gen Z protests -that toppled the government.

Now, he’s asking for votes. It’s the final day of campaigning in Kathmandu.

The Gen Z leader has become a candidate.

00:33 - 00:54
+++SOT Kamal Subedi, Janadesh Party Nepal - Gen Z Leader (Hindi)+++ 
"The Gen Z movement that we started last year we have to take  to its final conclusion. By contesting this election as a Gen Z leader, it is my duty to fight for Gen Z demands as well as to fight for those who lost loved ones and were injured in the protests. That is why I decided to participate in the elections."

00:56 - 01:17
Kamal's campaign focuses on corruption, unemployment and accountability — the same grievances that drove thousands of young Nepalis onto the streets in protest.

Nepal’s parliament has long been dominated by established parties, often referred to as the old guard.

The Gen-Z movement is now challenging them directly — on their home turf.

01:18 - 01:28
+++SOT Kamal Subedi, Gen Z Leader - Janadesh Party Nepal (Hindi)+++
"The situation of our country is dire and it is because of  the old guard politicians. Our economy has almost collapsed and our education system is in a very bad situation."

01:30 - 01:50
The election is the first, since deadly anti-corruption protests in September 2025 forced the government from power.

Security forces opened fire during demonstrations, killing around 77 people over two days. The violence shocked  the Himalayan nation and galvanised a generation.

01:54 - 02:05
25-year-old Lokendra Khadka was among hundreds injured.

He was shot in the leg. Today, he is campaigning for Kamal Subedi — alongside the very movement that nearly cost him his life.

02:06 - 02:25
+++SOT Lokendra Khadka, Gen Z, injured in protest (Hindi)+++ 
"My hope is  that all the young people who are contesting elections will  definitely win this time and we will defeat old guard politicians. They have been ruling our country for two decades and we haven’t seen any development or progress  in this country."

02:25 - 02:29
Lokendra takes us to the spot outside parliament where he was shot.

02:31 - 02:40
+++SOT Lokendra Khadka, Gen Z, injured in protest (Hindi)+++
"I was shot here — this is where the bullets hit my leg. You can still see the marks now."

02:41 - 02:50
The walls around parliament are still covered in posters. Faces of the dead. Reminders of a brutal crackdown that still defines this campaign.

02:51 - 03:00
+++SOT Lokendra Khadka, Gen Z, injured in protest (Hindi)+++
"We want a country free of corruption, where every citizen is equal before the law. For Gen Z, this election is about transparency and good governance."

03:01 - 03:05
But analysts say turning protest energy into political power won’t be easy.

03:07 - 03:15
Prakash Nirmal, a senior journalist who has closely followed Nepal's politics, says the movement's fragmented structure could weaken it. 

03:16 - 03:37
+++SOT Prakash Rimal, Former Editor of The Himalayan Times (English)+++
"The biggest challenge that Gen Z will be facing in the days ahead is... They are totally disorganized. They are splintered. They are going different paths. There is no way they can organize themselves. So, chances are they might be co-opted by one or the other party."

03:39 - 03:54
But, for Kamal Subedi and his supporters, this is more than an election.

It is a test whether a movement born on the streets can rebuild a nation and if the protesters of yesterday can be the leaders of tomorrow.

END