Kathmandu, March 7 RSP's Balendra Shah defeated four-time Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli by a significant margin and is set to form the next government in Nepal, effectively dismantling traditional political parties in the first general elections since last year's violent protests by the Gen Z demanding generational change and a corruption-free regime.
Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, the prime ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), defeated Oli, the chair of Nepal's legacy Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) -- CPN-UML -- by a substantial margin of approximately 50,000 votes in the Jhapa-5 constituency.
Balen, 35, secured 68,348 votes compared to Oli's 18,734, according to the Election Commission (EC).
The RSP, formed in 2022 by Ravi Lamichhane, has won 62 seats out of the 78 seats for which results have been declared, according to the Election Commission (EC).
The RSP's wins include a complete sweep in all 10 constituencies of the Kathmandu district, even as it leads in 60 constituencies across the country, as indicated by the EC data.
Traditional parties struggled to convince voters, with key issues including fighting corruption and ending nepotism, alongside a generational change in political leadership within the Himalayan nation.
The Nepali Congress (NC) won nine seats and is leading in nine constituencies; the CPN-(UML) won just three seats and is leading in nine; the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) won two seats and is leading in five; the Shrama Shakti Party (SSP) is leading in three constituencies, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) won one seat, according to the EC data. One independent candidate also won.
Nepal witnessed approximately 60 per cent voter turnout during the March 5 House of Representatives elections. Vote counting began late Thursday night, and as of 5 pm on Saturday, counting was underway in 162 constituencies, the Election Commission stated.
The elections were closely watched by India, which hopes for a stable government in the politically fragile Himalayan nation to further the developmental partnership between the two countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the people and government of Nepal on the successful conduct of the elections on Saturday. "It is encouraging to see my Nepali sisters and brothers exercising their democratic rights so vibrantly. This historic milestone is a proud moment in Nepal's democratic journey," Modi said in a post on X.
Modi also stated that as a close friend and neighbor, 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.
The RSP, which presented Balendra Shah 'Balen' as its prime ministerial candidate and had organized its first election campaign in Janakpur in Madhesh, is poised to dominate the province.
'Balen', as he is popularly known, campaigned on the theme of being the "son of Madhesh," with the party launching its campaign with the slogan "Ab ki bar Balendra Sarkar" (This time, Balendra's government).
Out of the total 32 seats in eight districts of the Madhesh province, the RSP has won seven and is leading in 23 other constituencies, according to the EC.
The party is also securing a complete victory in the Kathmandu Valley, winning all 10 seats in the Kathmandu district, and two in Bhaktapur and one in Lalitpur.
The party is also leading in the remaining two seats of the Kathmandu Valley with a significant margin, possibly due to Balen's extensive roadshow across all 15 constituencies on the last day of the election campaign.
Balen, who was the Kathmandu mayor until recently, secured 52,069 votes in Jhapa-5 constituency against four-time Prime Minister and CPN-UML chair K. P. Sharma Oli in his stronghold. Oli has received only 14,031 votes so far, according to the EC data.
The 35-year-old engineer-turned-rapper-turned-politician is expected to be Nepal's next prime minister, reflecting a public desire for change among established parties. Nepal has experienced 14 governments in the last 18 years.
RSP Chairman Lamichhane won with a significant margin from Chitwan-2 constituency, securing his third consecutive victory with 54,402 votes against his nearest rival, NC's Mina Kumari Kharel, 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 CPN-(UML), who received 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 RPP to secure a seat in the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, the RSP is also leading in proportional voting with the party securing 1,26,503 votes, followed by Nepali Congress with 38,343. The CPN (UML) has received 28,721 votes, the RPP 10,962, Nepali Communist Party 10,794 and Shrama Shakti Party 6,474 votes.
Out of a total of 275 members of the Parliament, 165 are being elected through direct voting, while the remaining 110 are through a proportionate 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 youth, through their two-day intensified protests on September 8 and 9 last year, ousted Prime Minister Oli of the CPN-(UML), who was heading a coalition government with the backing of Nepali Congress that enjoyed nearly two-thirds majority support.
After Oli's ouster, Balen emerged as a popular choice to lead the interim government, and he declined to lead the interim administration, stating that 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, generational change in political leadership, etc.
