Nepal election: Rastriya Swatantra Party leads as Balendra Shah beats K P Sharma Oli

Nepal’s election results show the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) heading towards a large win, weakening established parties. Balendra Shah, known as Balen, has secured a strong lead over CPN-UML chair K P Sharma Oli in Jhapa-5. India is watching closely, hoping for stability to support bilateral development cooperation.

Nepal’s election count on Friday indicated a major shift towards the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The new party, linked to rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, was set for a large win. Early results suggested voters were turning away from long-standing parties. The election was Nepal’s first general poll since the violent Gen Z protests.

Election Commission figures from 161 of 165 constituencies showed the RSP had won six seats. The party was also ahead in 110 constituencies, local media reported. Only 11 seats had been declared at that stage. Other parties trailed well behind, signalling a possible change in Nepal’s political balance.

Rastriya Swatantra Party RSP lead and other parties’ position

The Nepali Congress had won three seats, while the CPN-UML led in 11 constituencies. The Nepali Communist Party had won two seats. The Shram Sanskriti Party led in six constituencies. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Progressive Democratic Party were each ahead in one constituency.

In Jhapa-5, Balendra Shah secured more than 15,000 votes against K P Sharma Oli. Oli, a four-time prime minister and CPN-UML chair, had about 3,300 votes in the count. The contest took place in what was described as Oli’s stronghold. The margin drew attention during the count.

Balendra Shah is popularly known as Balen and is 35 years old. Balen is an engineer and was the Mayor of Kathmandu until recently. Balen was expected to become Nepal’s next prime minister. The trend was seen as a clear rejection of established parties by many voters.

Nepal elections system, turnout and counting updates

Nepal’s House of Representatives has 275 members in total. Of these, 165 are chosen through direct voting. The remaining 110 seats are filled through a proportionate method. Nepal witnessed about 60 per cent voter turnout on Thursday. The count began late Thursday night and was due to finish by Friday night.

There were 18.9 million eligible voters for the House of Representatives election. About 3,400 candidates contested for 165 direct seats. Another 3,135 candidates competed for 110 seats through proportionate voting. These figures highlighted the scale of the contest across the country.

Several constituency outcomes were reported during the count. Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda won from Rukum Purba district with 10,240 votes. Lilamani Gautam of CPN UML received 3,462 votes there. Ranju Darshana of the RSP won Kathmandu-1 with 15,455 votes.

Other winners included Yogesh Gauchan Thakali of the NC from Mustang with 3,307 votes. Biraj Bhakta Shrestha of RSP won from Kathmandu constituency-8. Shishir Khanal of the same party won Kathmandu constituency-6. Pradeep Bishta of RSP won Kathmandu 10, defeating Himal Karki of NC.

Mahendra Bahadur Shahi of the Nepali Communist Party won from Kalikot. Mahendra Bahadur Shahi defeated Nagendra Shahi of CPN-UML. These results added to a wider picture of mixed outcomes outside the RSP’s main urban gains. More declared seats were expected as counting progressed.

Gen Z protests and Rastriya Swatantra Party RSP rise

Nepal has had 14 governments in the last 18 years. The latest election followed unrest led by Gen Z youths. The protests lasted two days on September 8 and 9. Demonstrators opposed corruption and a ban on social media. The movement also demanded better governance and less nepotism.

The protests removed Prime Minister Oli, who led a coalition backed by Nepali Congress. That coalition held close to a two-thirds majority. After Oli’s removal, President Ramchandra Paudel dissolved the House of Representatives on September 12. Sushila Karki was then appointed as the caretaker PM.

Balen was seen as a leading choice to head an interim government after the protests. However, Balen refused, saying he preferred to seek a full term through elections. In January, Balen joined the RSP, which Ravi Lamichhane formed in 2022. Balen was soon named the party’s prime ministerial candidate.

During the campaign, the RSP drew strong support across several areas. Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa was the party’s prime ministerial candidate. The CPN UML presented Oli as its prime ministerial face. Both Nepali Congress and CPN UML were part of the government removed by Gen Z protests.

India response to Nepal elections and Rastriya Swatantra Party RSP prospects

India followed the election closely and signalled interest in stability in Nepal. New Delhi has sought a steady partner to advance development work with Kathmandu. "We look forward to working with the new Government of Nepal to further build on the robust multifaceted ties between our two countries and peoples for mutual benefit,\" Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in Delhi on Thursday.

Randhir Jaiswal said India supported peace, progress and stability in Nepal. Randhir Jaiswal also said logistical supplies were provided for the polls. The support was given after a request from the Government of Nepal. As counting moved ahead, the final seat tally was expected to shape Nepal’s next coalition choices.

With inputs from PTI