Christians in Nepal are anxious as they look at the results of the March 5 elections. Yet, many remain hopeful that the new government will value religious freedom and provide security against threats from extremist groups.

This anxiety is rooted in recent history: Nepal’s small Christian minority has faced targeting under anti-conversion laws and suffered intimidation and violence from extremists.

In this political climate, Nepal held general elections on March 5 to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives. The Rashtriya Swatantra Party won 125 of the 165 seats under direct voting in Nepal’s parliamentary polls as vote counting under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system concluded on Tuesday, putting it in a strong position to form a majority government.

“The results are unexpected,” Pastor Tamang told International Christian Concern (ICC). “Though the outcome is confusing, we remain hopeful, especially as there appears to be a decline in the influence of pro-Hindu nationalist parties.”

Another Christian, who requested anonymity, expressed concern, saying, “Christians may suffer even more under the new regime. The challenges could become greater as aggressive right-wing groups attempt to regain lost ground.”

Despite such concerns, however, some believers see the election outcome as a positive development.

“Every Christian should be happy for the change of guard in our country,” a young Christian said. “These elections were fought on issues such as corruption and unemployment versus creating a Hindu kingdom. However, the people have rejected the forces of corruption and are now looking for meaningful reforms and the rule of law to be upheld.”