Balen Shah’s RSP Sweeps Nepal Polls, Set to Form Government

Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah's RSP is all set to form the next government in Nepal after securing a sweeping victory in the crucial general election on Saturday, decimating the established parties in the politically-fragile country.

The 35-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) prime ministerial candidate, popularly known as "Balen," defeated four-time former prime minister K P Sharma Oli, the chair of Nepal's legacy party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), by a sizable margin of roughly 50,000 votes in the Jhapa-5 constituency.

According to the Election Commission (EC), Balen, 35, received 68,348 votes and Oli, 74, received 18,734.

Balen is anticipated to become Nepal's next prime minister, reflecting the public's disapproval with the country's established parties. In addition to being the youngest person to hold the top position in Nepal's parliamentary history, Balen will be the first Madhesi prime minister of the Himalayan nation.

The RSP, which was formed in 2022 by Ravi Lamichhane, has won 91 of the 117 seats for which the results were declared by 5:30 am, according to the EC.

The RSP's seats include a clean sweep of all 10 constituencies in Kathmandu district, even as it was leading in 34 seats across the country, the EC data showed.

Legacy parties failed to convince voters for whom the major issues included fighting corruption and an end to nepotism, apart from a generational change in Nepal's political leadership.

The Nepali Congress (NC) won 13 seats and was leading in three, the CPN-UML won just seven seats and was leading in three, the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) won four seats and was leading in three, the Shrama Shakti Party (SSP) was leading in three seats and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) won one seat, the EC data showed. Among the winners is one Independent candidate.

Nepal witnessed about 60 per cent voter turnout during the March 5 election to the House of Representatives. The counting of votes started late on Thursday night and as of Saturday night, counting was in progress in the remaining of the total 165 constituencies, the EC said.

India, seeking for a stable government in the politically unstable Himalayan nation to advance the two countries' developmental collaboration, was keeping a careful eye on the poll.

On Saturday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked the Nepali people and administration on a well-run 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 said as a close friend and neighbour, India remains steadfast in its commitment to working closely with the people of Nepal and its new government to scale new heights of shared peace, progress and prosperity.

Oli, who too was projected as the prime-ministerial face of the CPN-UML, wished Balen a full five-year tenure for his government in a country that has seen 14 governments in the last 18 years.

"Balen babu, congratulations for the victory. I wish your five year tenure be trouble free, successful and hearty congratulations," Oli wrote in a social media post and attached a 2022 photo showing him gifting a tabla to Balen after the rapper-turned politician won the mayoral polls in Kathmandu as an Independent candidate.

The RSP, which projected Balen as its prime-ministerial candidate and had organised its first election campaign in Janakpur in Madhesh, is heading towards a clean sweep of the province.

"Balen", as he is popularly known, projected himself as the "son of Madhesh" during the campaign, with the party launching the campaign with the "Ab ki bar Balendra sarkar" (This time there will be Balendra's government) tagline.

Of the total 32 seats in eight districts of Madhesh province, the RSP has won eight and was leading in 22, the EC said.

The party made a clean sweep in the Kathmandu valley, winning all 10 seats of Kathmandu district, two in Bhaktapur and three in Lalitpur district.

The party's clean sweep of all 15 seats in the valley could possibly be attributed to a massive road show led by Balen in all the constituencies on the last day of the election campaign.