Balendra Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party is on track to achieve a resounding victory in Nepal's first general elections since the Gen Z protests.
According to the Election Commission of Nepal, data from 161 of the total 165 constituencies shows that the RSP has won 28 seats, securing a clean sweep in all 10 constituencies of the Kathmandu district in the elections held last Thursday.
The Nepali Congress has won five seats, the Nepali Communist Party has won two seats, and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) has won one seat.
The RSP is leading in another 97 constituencies, with the Nepali Congress, the Nepali Communist Party, and CPN (UML) each leading in 10 constituencies. The Shram Sanskriti Party is leading in five constituencies. The remaining parties are leading in two constituencies each.
Balendra Shah has secured 39,284 votes in the Jhapa-5 constituency against four-time prime minister and CPN-UML chair K P Sharma Oli in his stronghold. Oli has received 10,293 votes so far.
The 35-year-old engineer, popularly known as Balen, is expected to be the next prime minister of Nepal, reflecting a public sentiment of rejecting established parties. Nepal has had 14 governments in the last 18 years.