Nepal Elections 2026: A Look At How Himalayan Nation Became A Secular State

Months after a youth-led nationwide protest forced KP Sharma Oli to vacate the Prime Minister's office in Nepal, the country is all set to vote in the national election on March 5. Nepal transitioned from an official Hindu Kingdom to a secular state in 2008 but the journey began two years before that.

On May 18, 2006, Nepal's parliament declared the country a secular state. At the same time, it took away political powers from the king, ending the two-century-old Hindu kingdom.

The country's secular status was confirmed in the 2007 Interim Constitution and in 2008, the Constituent Assembly officially declared Nepal a secular country.

Prior to this, the country had been an officially Hindu state since 1962 and unofficially Hindu even before that.

Nepal has a large Hindu population, and for centuries, Hinduism and the state were closely linked through the king. Before the Interim Constitution, the 1990 Constitution called Nepal a Hindu Kingdom.

Being secular means the government does not favour any one religion, and the constitution gives everyone the right to practice their faith. At the same time, the constitution does not allow forcing or converting someone else to a religion. This made it easier for people to practice their religion openly.

In 2015, Nepal introduced its first full democratic constitution.

During the formulation of the constitution, many were against it as they wanted it to stay a Hindu state because Hinduism has been part of the country's identity for centuries.

"Religious and cultural freedom, with the protection of religion and culture practised since ancient times," the charter reads.

Even though Nepal is now officially secular, Hindu traditions still influence laws and government practices.

The government manages Hindu temples and religious trusts, spends money on Hindu festivals, considers cow slaughter illegal, observes public holidays for Hindu festivals, and maintains Hindu temples in schools, courts and government buildings.

On March 5, people in Nepal will elect 275 members to the Constituent Assembly.