Kathmandu: Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah’s newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was heading towards a sweeping victory in Nepal’s general election, marking a dramatic shift in the country’s political landscape after months of public unrest and youth-led protests.
According to the latest data from Nepal’s Election Commission, the RSP has won 29 seats and is leading in 88 others in the 165 constituencies decided through direct voting, suggesting the party could emerge as the largest force in Parliament. Local media reports said the surge has significantly weakened the hold of Nepal’s traditional political parties.
Shah, popularly known as “Balen”, has also established a strong lead in the Jhapa-5 constituency against former prime minister and CPN-UML chairman K.P. Sharma Oli. Early results show Shah is currently leading with 39,284 votes, ahead of Oli by a margin of 28,991 votes in the constituency that has long been considered the veteran leader’s stronghold.
The 35-year-old engineer, who served as the Mayor of Kathmandu before entering national politics, is widely seen as a potential contender for the prime minister’s post if his party secures enough seats. His rapid rise reflects a growing public demand for political change in Nepal, which has seen 14 governments in the past 18 years.
RSP spokesperson Manish Jha wrote on X on Friday: “Our objective is to bring about positive changes in the country, and we still have to work hard for this.” “We must serve not as leaders, but as facilitators. The people have entrusted us with a mandate and responsibility with great expectations,” writes Jha.
“Our real enemies are corruption, poverty, and bad governance in the country,” said Jha. “Candidates and political parties are only competitors in the democratic process and respecting everyone’s existence, we must stay restrained, generous, and responsible. This is a request to all.
Preliminary results indicate that established parties are struggling to retain their dominance. The Nepali Congress has won five seats and is leading in nine others, while the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) has secured twp seats and is ahead in nine constituencies. The Nepal Communist Party has won two seats and is leading in 10 constituencies, according to early trends.
The elections were closely watched both domestically and internationally following last year’s youth-led “Gen Z” protests that forced the resignation of the government led by K.P. Sharma Oli. The protests were driven by demands for anti-corruption measures, better governance and generational change in Nepal’s political leadership.
Following the political crisis, President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives in September and appointed Sushila Karki as caretaker prime minister until fresh elections could be held.
In the latest polls, nearly 18.9 million voters were eligible to elect the 275-member House of Representatives. About 60 per cent of voters turned out to cast their ballots.
Of the total seats in Parliament, 165 are decided through direct elections while the remaining 110 are filled through a proportional representation system based on the share of votes secured by political parties.
India is closely monitoring the developments in Nepal, with New Delhi expressing hope that the elections would lead to political stability in the Himalayan nation. Ahead of the polls, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India looked forward to working with the new government in Nepal to strengthen bilateral ties and support the country’s progress and stability.
