"Only the biggest national parties are allowed to submit proportional representation lists, effectively excluding smaller parties from PR seats."

The Nepal News evening briefing on the final proportional representation list reports that 63 political parties submitted closed lists for the 110 House of Representatives PR seats. The broader election explainer from Nepal News and data from the ECN indicate that 120 parties registered for the snap polls, though not all chose to field candidates or submit PR lists. The legal framework does not reserve PR access for a few large parties; instead, any registered party that meets ECN criteria may submit a list. However, electoral thresholds and the distribution formula mean that only parties crossing a certain vote share will actually gain seats, which tends to favour better-known parties. So while smaller parties are legally able to participate in the PR tier, structural factors make it harder for them to convert votes into seats, making the claim partially grounded in outcome but inaccurate about formal rules.