Kathmandu [Nepal], February 26 (ANI): Nepal’s 2026 election campaign is taking a hybrid approach, combining traditional grassroots mobilisation with advanced digital strategies. This blend is crucial in navigating the high-stakes political environment following the 2025 Gen Z-led uprising.The businesses in the printing presses, which used to go into frenzy and be busy preparing the election campaign materials, but this time, the area is eerily silent. The smell of printing inks has become thinner this year as the orders have slumped in comparison to those of the year 2022.Bijay Kumar Karki is one of those who has been running the business of printing, which, during the election time are busy making the campaign materials. From the party flags to the badges, caps, banners and other miniature items- it should have been a busy time for him, but this year the business has reduced.”In my business of forty years, at the time of election we used to make hand-made banners, but after the ban on it, the technique shifted to using the screen prints,” Karki told ANI.Further adding, “In terms of the business of the flags, the number (of orders) has dived. In the previous election of 2022, there was high demand, but this time it has slumped.”The basic essence of the election campaign, as per the printers, was a means to raise awareness as well as establish one’s image, but with time, it has undergone a drastic change.The same experience has been recounted by Anita Chaudhary, who has also been working as a screen printer in Kathmandu’s printing capital- Bagbazar.”In the previous election, the sale was high, but this year they have also decreased. There aren’t many orders to prepare for,” Chaudhary said.This has been mainly attributed to the transition from traditional means of campaigning to digital means, especially social media. Candidates in Nepal now are shifting their appeals for votes from door-to-door to social media feeds.Parties and candidates standing in the fray for next week’s parliamentary election have ensured their presence on all fronts to reach out to the voters, changing the dynamics of the election campaigning.The political parties and candidates are now running ads on social media through paid promotion services to reach out to larger audience. As per Facebook’s Ad library report from November 25 to February 22, 2026, a total of 16, 453 USD has been spent from Bagmati Zone, which includes the capital Kathmandu, only to boost the political, social or elections ads.It is only the Bagmati Zone which has spent ten thousand; the Koshi Zone, which comes second in terms of boost in the same period, has only spent 5,469 USD for the same section.This change in the pattern of campaigning comes in line with the adoption of new election ethics by the electoral body. The Election Commission, Nepal, has adopted ethical guidelines which limit the size of the flag, numbers and other materials that were previously used during the campaign.The commission had partnered with Meta and TikTok in the 2022 local elections to regulate political ads, tracking spending and content transparency. Since then, Facebook’s Ad Library has included Nepal, providing public access to expenditure and content details. A similar cooperation is underway this year to curb misinformation, false content, and hate speech.Going in line with the adopted policy by the electoral body of the Himalayan Nation, the political parties also increased their social media budget for the March 5 election. To have a strong presence on social media and exert influence on voters, the political parties and candidates are hiring professionals- social media influencers and managers.”Right after the filing of the candidacy for First-Past-the-Post, demand for social media managers and creative artists who can make electoral campaigns boom. Currently in the market, professional fees for handling social media handles of the candidates start from half-a-million rupees,” a digital platform handler told ANI, asking not to be named, requesting privacy.The change that has been seen over time started back from the 2022 local elections, which have reshaped the nation’s digital terrain. With the dominance of technology, the electorate is no longer defined solely by geography- districts, constituencies, or wards but by digital affinities and platform behaviours.As per the experts, the Cost Per Click (CPC) on average on Facebook in Nepal ranges from NPR 5 to NPR 40 ($0.04 – $0.30 USD). In comparison, Google Ads averages around $0.64 USD. Similarly, the Cost Per Mille (CPM), the cost to reach 1,000 people on Facebook, fluctuates between NPR 80 and NPR 500 ($0.60 – $3.75 USD).Dr. Rishikesh Dahal, Assistant Professor at the Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at the Tribhuvan University, the oldest varsity of Nepal, points out two reasons behind the change in the dynamics of the political campaigning.”It is turning into digital election campaigning by all political parties and candidates. One of the reasons is that the Election Commission, Nepal, prioritises digital campaigning rather than pamphlets and other traditional means. Another aspect is the big impact of digital and social media products, and the consumption pattern is very high,” Dahal told ANI.According to Meta’s Ad Library, since September 2022, a total of 33, 413 ads have been posted on Facebook for which a total of 285, 608 USD has been spent. In the last month, from January 25 to February 23, 2026, election-related expenses have increased in Nepal, with a single account running 108 advertisement spending 3, 424 USD.During this period, around 500 election-focused advertisements were placed on Meta platforms through more than 100 different accounts. The money paid for such advertisements goes directly to Meta. These ads are displayed across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and Meta’s Audience Network, which includes third-party apps and websites partnered with Meta.When placing ads on Meta, advertisers typically target users based on age, interests, behaviour, geography, and other factors. These advertisements have collectively been viewed at least one million times. The content includes information about the party and its activities, interviews with families of Gen Z martyrs, speeches by party leaders, and calls for votes.As the election approaches, aggressive campaigning on social media has become more visible, an area that falls under the jurisdiction of the Election Commission’s code of conduct.With campaigners practicing hybrid model of campaigning, the Election Commission, Nepal, has now started closely monitoring advertisements on digital platforms. The electoral body has capped the spending limit for each parliamentary candidate at NPR 2.5 million, which also includes social media advertising.Beyond this, the Election Commission will also use software to monitor electronic media. The software, provided with support from UNDP and The Asia Foundation, is being used to screen social media content.As per the officials, if any issues are identified, the Commission will coordinate with the respective social media companies to remove the content. But the electoral body’s code of conduct does not clearly specify what action should be taken if someone else runs a social media campaign in support of a candidate. The election code of conduct prohibits campaigning through multiple handles.It states: “Political parties or candidates shall not conduct or cause to be conducted any publicity through online web pages, TV scrolling, displays in shopping malls, call centres, bank ATM messages, street dramas, or similar media.”However, it adds that having campaign materials on a maximum of one personal or official website of a political party or candidate will not be restricted.Even a decade ago, Nepali political parties primarily used manifestos, posters, pamphlets, and banners to introduce candidates and communicate party agendas during elections. They wrote slogans on public spaces and walls. Teams would go door-to-door asking for votes. Party workers themselves carried out these activities. In addition, campaigns were conducted through traditional media.As internet access expanded and social media reach increased, election campaigning gradually shifted online. Parties began using tech-savvy members to promote their messages through social media. It became common to highlight positive aspects of one’s own party and dig up negative content about opponents.In the year 2020, the Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) led by KP Sharma Oli, contesting from Jhapa-5, had formed “Cyber Army”, which was later renamed as “Cyber Circle” on 24 November 2021 after controversy over the name.For the March 5 election, the party is making extensive use of “Cyber Circle” to reach out to a wider audience for appealing them for the vote, as the stakes are high for Oli after rapper turned mayor Balendra Shah is standing against him in the fray.Nepali Congress, the largest party in the September-dissolved parliament, also had formed the “Nepali Congress Wide Information Network” (NC WIN) on 6 September 2021 to promote the party via social media. A separate team has been formed to launch the digital campaign for the party leaders.In particular, during the 2022 local elections, independent candidate Balendra Shah (Balen), who ran for mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, received extensive promotion through social media. This had a nationwide impact.While party candidates relied mainly on traditional media and limited social media promotion, Facebook pages like “Routine of Nepal Banda” used technology to widely promote Balen. This resonated strongly with urban youth voters and became one factor in his victory.”There is a high level of internet penetration all over Nepal, and most of the people use social media and digital platforms rather than traditional media. That is why political parties are trying to reach where the audiences are or where the voters are,” Dr Dahal told ANI.The Gen-Z protest of September last year, which started with a call on social media, also used the platform Discord to elect Sushila Karki as the interim leader. Observers say the issue is even more pressing as digital content increasingly shapes voters’ perceptions.”Social media is just a medium to reach out and express, and advertise one’s own self. It makes people more visible, giving more visual literacy, which would have an impact on people appraising them. The election is an event when the people are reached out to and also is the competition of the intellectuality; those who are not well-literate also will vote for them, so through these visual means of campaigning, by any means it is powerful,” Bijay Kumar Karki, who has four decades of experience in printing campaign materials, concludes. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)