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Nepal’s centrist RSP party, led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, secured a clear majority in the direct parliamentary elections, with partial official results indicating a strong lead and suggesting a landslide victory. The 35-year-old Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) also led in the proportional representation votes, according to announced results and trends from the election commission.
This election marked the first since the youth-led anti-corruption protests in September 2025, which resulted in the government’s fall. Shah himself defeated veteran four-time Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in his own constituency—Oli’s Marxist-led government was ousted amid last year’s violence.
His victory over the 74-year-old Oli and his rise from the mayor of Kathmandu to a potential prime minister highlights a dramatic shift in Nepali politics. The September protests, driven broadly by Generation Z under a loose banner, initially started over a social media ban but quickly expanded into a wider movement against corruption and economic struggles.
Elections for Nepal’s 275-seat House of Representatives took place on Thursday, with 185 seats filled through direct votes and 110 through proportional representation. Election observers from the Asian Network for Free Elections described the voting process as peaceful and reflective of continued democratic engagement despite recent political turmoil.
As of Sunday afternoon, 153 of the direct election results had been announced. Shah’s RSP led with 117 wins, followed by the Nepali Congress with 17, and Oli’s Marxist party trailing with seven. Prominent leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal, a three-time prime minister and former Maoist guerrilla commander, also secured his seat, with his party holding a total of seven seats.
Trends indicated that Shah’s RSP was also leading in eight of the remaining 12 direct constituency races. In the proportional representation tally, RSP was further ahead with nearly half of the votes counted, though final tallies might take several days.
Nepali Congress, the previous coalition’s largest party, saw its new leader, Gagan Thapa, defeated by Shah’s party. Election officials assured the public that counting was proceeding smoothly, with results expected soon for all direct races and additional days needed for the proportional representation results.
Shah celebrated his victory Saturday evening with a parade through his new constituency, donning his signature dark sunglasses and greeting the crowds from a sunroof, where supporters chanted “Balen”—his nickname. Oli, who congratulated Shah, wished him “a smooth and successful five-year term.”
Meanwhile, Nepal’s government-formed investigation commission into the September 2025 violence submitted its report Sunday, although no one has yet been held accountable for the deaths. The findings remain confidential pending public release. The commission collected evidence from over 200 witnesses and compiled a 900-page report, with an additional 8,000 pages of supplementary material. Its conclusions and recommendations are now with interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki for action.
Oli denies ordering security forces to fire on protesters and attributes the violence to infiltrators, dismissing responsibility.
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