Kathmandu, March 8 – Balendra Shah, a rapper turned politician, is set to become the next prime minister of Nepal after his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) secured a resounding victory in the crucial general election. The results, announced on Sunday, have dramatically shifted the political landscape in the Himalayan nation.
Popularly known as "Balen," the 35-year-old RSP candidate defeated four-time former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), by a significant margin of around 50,000 votes in the Jhapa-5 constituency.
Balen received 68,348 votes, compared to Oli's 18,734, according to the Election Commission.
Analysts expect Balen to become Nepal's next prime minister, reflecting a public desire for change. The RSP, formed in 2022 by Ravi Lamichhane, has won 100 out of the 129 seats declared, according to the Election Commission.
Balen will be the first Madhesi prime minister of the Himalayan country, as well as the youngest to hold the top office in Nepal's parliamentary history.
The RSP secured a clean sweep in all 10 constituencies within the Kathmandu district, and also led in 25 other constituencies across the country.
The previous parties failed to convince voters, who were primarily concerned about fighting corruption and addressing nepotism, as well as achieving a generational shift in the country's political leadership.
The Nepali Congress (NC) won 13 seats and led in three, the CPN-UML won seven seats and led in three, the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) won six seats and led in one, the Shrama Shakti Party (SSP) led in three, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) won one seat. One independent candidate also won.
Approximately 60 per cent of the voters participated in the March 5 election for the House of Representatives. Counting began late Thursday night, and as of Saturday night, counting continued for the remaining 165 constituencies, according to the Election Commission.
The election is being closely watched by India, which hopes for a stable government in the politically fragile Himalayan country to facilitate further developmental partnerships.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the people and government of Nepal on Saturday for the successful conduct of the election.
"It is heartening to see my Nepali sisters and brothers exercise their democratic rights so vibrantly. This historic milestone is a proud moment in Nepal's democratic journey," Modi said in a post on X.
He also stated that India remains committed to working closely with the people of Nepal and its new government to achieve new heights of shared peace, progress, and prosperity.
Oli, who was also a key candidate for the CPN-UML, congratulated Balen on his victory and wished him a successful and fulfilling five-year term.
"Balen babu, congratulations on your victory. I wish your five-year tenure is successful and filled with joy," Oli wrote in a social media post, attaching a 2022 photo of him gifting a tabla to Balen after the rapper-turned politician won the mayoral election in Kathmandu as an independent candidate.
The RSP, which presented Balen as its prime-ministerial candidate and conducted its first election campaign in Janakpur in Madhesh, is poised to win a majority in the province.
"Balen," as he is popularly known, presented himself as the "son of Madhesh" during the campaign, with his party launching its campaign with the tagline "Ab ki bar Balendra sarkar" (This time there will be Balendra's government).
Out of the total 32 seats in the eight districts of the Madhesh province, the RSP has won eight and is leading in 22 other constituencies, according to the Election Commission.
The party secured a clean sweep in the Kathmandu valley, winning all 10 seats in the Kathmandu district, two in Bhaktapur, and three in Lalitpur.
The RSP's clean sweep of all 15 seats in the valley could be attributed to Balen's extensive roadshow in all the constituencies on the last day of the election campaign.
RSP chairman Lamichhane won with a significant margin in the Chitwan-2 constituency, securing his third consecutive victory with 54,402 votes against his rival, Mina Kumari Kharel of the NC, who received 14,564 votes.
According to the Election Commission, former prime minister and NCP leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda won from Rukum Purba district by securing 10,240 votes against his rival, Lilamani Gautam of the CPN-UML, who got 3,462 votes.
RPP's Gyanendra Shahi won from the Jumla constituency of Karnali province by defeating his closest rival, Naresh Bhandari of the NCP, and became the only candidate of the pro-monarchist party to have secured a seat in the House of Representatives.
The election also saw 10 women candidates emerge victorious – nine from the RSP and one from the NC.
Meanwhile, the RSP was also leading in the proportional-voting system, with the party bagging 11,48,725 votes, followed by the Nepali Congress with 3,79,964 votes. The CPN-UML has received 3,04,842 votes, the Nepali Communist Party 1,39,005 votes, the RPP 83,525, and the SSP 46,261 votes.
Of the 275 members of Parliament, 165 are being elected through direct voting, while the remaining 110 are being elected through a proportional method.
Approximately 3,400 candidates were vying for 165 seats under direct voting, and 3,135 candidates for 110 seats through proportionate voting.
The Gen Z, through its two-day intensified protests on September 8 and 9 last year, ousted Prime Minister Oli, who was heading a coalition government with the backing of the Nepali Congress that enjoyed nearly two-thirds majority support.
Although Balen was a popular choice to lead the interim government after Oli's ouster, he declined to lead the interim administration, saying he would prefer to contest the parliamentary election for a full term.
In January, he joined the RSP and was soon declared the party's prime-ministerial candidate.
The major issues raised by Gen Z before and during the election campaign were anti-corruption, good governance, an end to nepotism, a generational change in the political leadership, etc.
Sunil Babu Pant, former MP and a political analyst, said, "The victory of the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the March 5 election and the expectation that Balen Shah could emerge as Nepal's next prime minister reflect the people's deep-rooted frustration with the old political order and their hope for a new direction."
"As Balen assumes the country's leadership, his first responsibility must be to demonstrate that corruption will not be tolerated under any circumstances," he said.
Balen will also face a complex geopolitical challenge, Pant said, adding, "He must prove that he is not a puppet of any external power, western or otherwise. Nepal's leadership must carefully balance relations with all global actors and pursue an independent foreign policy that prioritises national interest."
