In Nepal’s closely watched general election, rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, representing the newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), was on course for a landslide victory on Saturday, March 7, according to data from the Election Commission. RSP won 67 seats and is leading with 55 seats.
The general election held on March 5 was the first since the Gen Z protest of September 2025 and broke the dominance of the established political parties. The party, which has fielded Shah as its prime ministerial candidate, has started its election campaign in Janakpur in Madhesh province’s Dhanusha district and is now poised to secure a decisive victory in the province.
RSP wins election in Nepal
Out of the total 32 seats in the eight districts of Madhesh province, the RSP has won seven and is also leading in another 23 constituencies. Reports suggest that the RSP is also sweeping Kathmandu Valley, where it has won all 10 seats in Kathmandu district. Besides, she won two in Bhaktapur and one in Lalitpur district. Out of the 15 seats in the Kathmandu Valley, the party has a huge lead in the remaining two constituencies as well. On the last day of the campaign, the party organized a roadshow across all 15 constituencies in the valley led by Balen.
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RSP support was visible across regions, from the Tarai plains to the highlands and Kathmandu Valley, The Kathmandu Post reported. An early vote count under the proportional representation system showed the party’s turnout to be more than three times that of its nearest rival, the Nepali Congress.
Balen Shah defeated former Prime Minister KP Oli
According to the Election Commission, former mayor and rapper Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah won Jhapa-5 defeating former prime minister KP Sharma Oli. According to the counting, Balen got 68,348 votes while former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli got 18,734 votes.
Nepali Congress takes the lead in six seats
The Nepali Congress, on the other hand, secured victory in six seats and leads in another 12. Nepali Congress President Gagan Thapa, whose party was the largest in the dissolved parliament, was trailing RSP candidate Amresh Kumar Singh in Sarlahi-4, according to The Kathmandu Post.
The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has secured two seats so far and is leading in six others. NCP coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal was the only top player of the old ‘Big Three’ to win, this time from Rukum East-1.
Balen Shah to be the next prime minister?
According to a PTI report, the 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician is expected to be Nepal’s next prime minister, reflecting a public mood of rejection of established parties. Shah had earlier emerged as a popular figure to lead the caretaker government after Gen Z-led protests toppled the coalition government led by KP Sharma Oli. However, he rejected the proposal, saying that he prefers to seek a full mandate through parliamentary elections.
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In January, Shah joined RSP, a party founded in 2022 by Ravi Lamichhane. Shortly after taking office, he was named the party’s candidate for prime minister.
