Kathmandu, March 7 Former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli congratulated Balendra Shah 'Balen' shortly after the young RSP leader defeated the veteran CPN-UML chair by a significant margin in Jhapa-5 constituency, the stronghold of the legacy party, in Nepal.
The Rashtriya Swatantrata Party (RSP) leader and former Kathmandu Mayor, known simply as 'Balen', is his party's candidate for prime minister and defeated the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) and four-time Prime Minister Oli by nearly 50,000 votes.
In a David versus Goliath-like contest, 35-year-old Balen secured 68,348 votes against 18,734 votes for the 74-year-old Oli in the constituency located in eastern Nepal's Koshi province, where the former Prime Minister had remained undefeated for years, the Election Commission (EC) said.
"Congratulations, Balen," Oli wrote in his social media post.
Oli, who was also projected as the PM candidate for the CPN-UML, wished Balen a successful and fulfilling five-year tenure in the Himalayan nation that has seen 14 governments in the last 18 years.
"I wish your five-year tenure is free from trouble, successful, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations," Oli said, attaching a 2022 photo showing him gifting a tabla to Balen after the rapper-turned-politician won the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent.
The general elections were necessitated after Oli resigned on September 9 last year, following violent two-day protests by the youth-led Gen Z group against his government over corruption and a ban on social media.
Balen chose the Jhapa-5 constituency to challenge Oli. While Balen represented the emerging youth force of Nepal, Oli represented the conservative old guard.
