Feona Prerna, Editor
In a dramatic political shift, Nepal’s newly emerging party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has secured a landslide victory in the country’s latest parliamentary elections**, marking one of the most significant electoral outcomes in Nepal in decades.
The election results position rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah to become the country’s next prime minister, reflecting a strong wave of public demand for political change.
Landslide Victory for a Young Party
According to the final vote tally, the RSP won 182 seats in the lower house of Nepal’s parliament, falling just two seats short of the two-thirds supermajority required to dominate legislative decisions.
Despite missing the supermajority mark, the victory represents the largest electoral win for a single political party in Nepal in several decades.
The results of the election show a massive gap between the leading party and its rivals:
* The Nepali Congress secured 38 seats, placing second.
* The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML) finished third with 25 seats.
Voter turnout reached approximately 60%, with nearly 19 million registered voters participating in the democratic exercise.
Rise of a Rapper in Politics
The result marks a remarkable rise for Balendra Shah, popularly known in Nepal’s music scene as a rapper before entering politics.
Shah first gained widespread attention when he was elected Mayor of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, running as an independent candidate. His anti-establishment message and focus on governance reforms helped him gain popularity among young voters.
The RSP itself is a relatively new political force. Founded in 2022, the party had finished fourth in the previous national election. Within just a few years, it has now transformed into the country’s most dominant political group.
Youth-Driven Demand for Change
Political analysts say the election results reflect a deep desire for change among Nepal’s younger population.
During the election campaign, several parties attempted to appeal to youth voters by addressing issues such as:
* Unemployment
* Economic stagnation
* Rising inequality
* Political nepotism
These concerns were also at the heart of the mass youth-led protests that swept across Nepal last year. Initially sparked by anger over a government move to ban social media platforms, the protests soon expanded into a broader movement against the country’s political establishment.
Demonstrators criticized entrenched political elites and the influence of so-called “nepo babies” — the children of powerful political families.
Protests That Shaped the Election
The protests turned violent at times, leading to a major political crisis in the country.
A total of 77 people were killed during the demonstrations, and investigations later revealed that police had issued orders permitting the use of lethal force against thousands of unarmed protesters.
The unrest eventually led to the removal of then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli from power.
However, Oli returned to contest the election once again. His party, the CPN-UML, not only finished third nationally but Oli himself was defeated decisively by Balendra Shah in the Jhapa-5 constituency, which had previously been considered a stronghold for the veteran leader.
Another major upset occurred when Gagan Thapa, the new leader of the Nepali Congress and a prominent political figure, also lost his parliamentary seat to a candidate from the RSP.
Government Formation Expected Soon
Although the results are now clear, it is expected to take about a week for Nepal’s new government to be formally formed as political negotiations and constitutional procedures take place.
If the process moves forward smoothly, Balendra Shah could soon become Nepal’s next prime minister, representing a dramatic generational shift in the country’s leadership.
A Turning Point in Nepal’s Politics
The outcome of this election may signal the beginning of a new political era in Nepal, where younger leaders and new political movements challenge the long-standing dominance of traditional parties.
For many voters, especially the youth who drove last year’s protests, the victory of the Rastriya Swatantra Party represents hope for political reform, transparency, and a new direction for the country’s future.
English 
Hindi