March 8, 2026, 12:09 p.mMarch 8, 2026, 12:09 p.m
Nepal’s landmark parliamentary election is set to see a landslide victory for the party of former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah. According to official partial results, the relatively young RSP (Rastriya Swatantra Party) won 114 of 165 direct mandates in the lower house by Sunday afternoon (local time). She was ahead in 13 other constituencies. The lower house is the more powerful of the two chambers of parliament.
Balendra Shah, ex-rapper and political shooting star in Nepal.Image: keystone
With the victory of the centrist RSP, its 35-year-old leading candidate and former rapper Shah alias Belen has a good chance of becoming the next prime minister of the Himalayan state. The party was also clearly in the lead when the second votes were counted. In total, it is about the distribution of 275 seats, of which 110 will be awarded to list candidates based on the proportional share of votes.
Thursday’s snap election was the first in Nepal since deadly unrest six months ago that led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and the dissolution of parliament. It is also seen as a test of the influence of younger voters. A blocking of social media platforms drove tens of thousands of mostly young people from “Generation Z” onto the streets in September. They denounced widespread corruption and nepotism. More than 70 people died as a result of the unrest.
Shah made a name for himself in Nepal’s hip-hop scene
The RSP was given the greatest chance of victory alongside the two former government parties, the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninists). Young people in particular associate Shah, who had made a name for himself in Nepal’s hip-hop scene in the early 2010s, with the hope of reforms and a new political beginning. He is also described as populist in the domestic media. Four years ago he won the election as mayor of the capital Kathmandu as an independent candidate. He resigned earlier this year and joined the RSP. (dab/sda/dpa)