Voter Numbers Range from 7,000 to 187,000 Across Nepal’s Parliamentary Constituencies

Nepal’s parliamentary constituencies show striking disparities in voter numbers, raising long-standing concerns about equal representation in a democratic system.

In the Himalayan district of Manang, there are only about 7,000 registered voters. In contrast, Ramechhap district has 27 times more voters. Yet both districts elect one Member of the House of Representatives each. In Parliament, both lawmakers enjoy equal constitutional rights, responsibilities, benefits, and even the eligibility to become ministers or prime minister.

All 275 members of Nepal’s sovereign Parliament have equal authority once elected. However, the number of voters who elect each representative varies dramatically from one constituency to another.

Wide Gap in Voter Representation

A fundamental principle of democracy is that each voter’s ballot should carry equal weight. Ideally, electoral constituencies should be drawn so that population differences are minimal. However, in Nepal, constituencies differ by as much as 27 times in voter size.

Manang has the lowest number of voters in the country. Spread over 2,246 square kilometers about 1.53 percent of Nepal’s total land area it elects one representative despite its small population. Meanwhile, Morang and Jhapa districts, which are geographically smaller than Manang but densely populated, have six and five constituencies respectively.

Morang covers 1,855 square kilometers and Jhapa 1,606 square kilometers. Ramechhap, which has the highest number of voters in a single constituency, has 187,952 voters electing one lawmaker. Its geographical area is 1,546 square kilometers smaller than Manang’s.

Small Himalayan Districts, Large Terai Constituencies

In the 2022 general election, Manang had 6,779 registered voters, of whom 4,846 cast ballots. Congress candidate Tek Bahadur Gurung won with 2,575 votes. Remarkably, in 80 constituencies across Nepal, the number of invalid votes exceeded the total votes Gurung received to win.

Other sparsely populated Himalayan districts also have small voter bases. Mustang currently has 11,328 voters; Dolpa has 24,115; Humla 34,372; and Mugu 36,031.

In contrast, many Terai constituencies have well over 100,000 voters. Jhapa-5, one of the most high-profile constituencies, now has 163,379 voters more than the combined total of six Himalayan constituencies: Manang, Mustang, Dolpa, Humla, Rukum East, and Mugu, which together have 147,618 voters.

Similarly, Sarlahi-4 has 121,000 voters. All five constituencies in Jhapa and all four in Sunsari have more than 130,000 voters each. Altogether, 123 constituencies nationwide have more than 100,000 voters.

Kathmandu Valley vs Madhesh Province

Within Kathmandu Valley’s 15 constituencies, 13 have fewer than 100,000 voters. Kathmandu-1 has just 48,489 voters. On average, one lawmaker in Kathmandu Valley represents about 79,000 voters.

By comparison, Madhesh Province’s eight districts together have over 3.6 million voters across 32 constituencies. On average, each lawmaker there represents approximately 113,000 voters—around 34,000 more voters per MP than in Kathmandu Valley.

This disparity has long been a political issue, particularly among Madhesh-based parties. Since the 1990s, parties such as the Nepal Sadbhavana Party, Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP), and others have demanded constituency delineation based primarily on population rather than geography.

Constitutional and Historical Background

Following the Madhesh movement in 2007, Nepal’s Interim Constitution incorporated provisions for federalism and proportional representation. The Constitution of 2015 later specified that constituency boundaries should be determined mainly on the basis of population, with geography as a secondary factor. However, it also mandates that each of Nepal’s 77 districts must have at least one constituency.

This constitutional requirement has contributed significantly to disparities. Even districts with very small populations must elect one representative, while densely populated districts remain underrepresented relative to their voter numbers.

In 2017, a Constituency Delimitation Commission led by former Supreme Court Justice Kamal Narayan Das finalized the current 165 House of Representatives constituencies. The Constitution bars judicial review of the commission’s decisions and requires a review only once every 20 years.

The constituencies were drawn based on the 2011 census, when Nepal’s population stood at approximately 26.5 million. Although a new census was conducted in 2021, constituencies cannot be revised until the 20-year review period expires.

Population vs Geography Debate

Former commission member Madhav Adhikari explained that the Constitution required at least one constituency per district, regardless of population size. “Constituencies were determined based on population, not the number of registered voters. If voter numbers had been used, the distribution would have been more practical,” he said.

Analysts argue that Nepal’s historical administrative structure has contributed to the imbalance. Political commentator Tula Narayan Shah notes that during the Panchayat era, districts were created based on geography rather than population, resulting in long-term representational inequality.

Nearly half of Nepal’s population resides in the Terai region, yet it has only 20 districts compared to 55 in the hills. Since each district is guaranteed at least one parliamentary seat, areas with smaller populations particularly in the hills and mountains are relatively overrepresented, while densely populated Terai districts remain underrepresented.

Ongoing Political Issue

The debate over whether parliamentary representation should prioritize population or geography continues to shape Nepal’s political discourse. While constitutional amendments have partially addressed concerns, many Madhesh-based parties argue that electoral boundaries still fail to reflect demographic realities.

Until the next mandated review of constituencies, the significant variation from as few as 7,000 voters to as many as 187,000 per constituency remains a defining feature of Nepal’s electoral system.