Rapper-Turned-Mayor Balendra Shah Heads for Landslide Win in Nepal General Election
The Rastriya Swatantra Party, a progressive centrist movement led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, is surging towards a decisive landslide victory in Nepal's first nationwide election following a youth-led anti-government protest that toppled the previous administration. Voting commenced on Thursday to elect a new government, replacing the former prime minister Khadga Prasad Oli's administration, which had been marred by persistent allegations of corruption, nepotism, and political impunity.
Shah's Party Crosses 100 Seats Mark
By Friday, as voting neared completion, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – founded merely three years ago – was leading in more than 100 seats of the 165 decided through the first-past-the-post voting system. Of the total 275 parliamentary seats up for grabs, 165 are filled through direct elections, with the remaining seats allocated via proportional representation. The RSP is spearheaded by 35-year-old Shah, the former mayor of Kathmandu, who has emerged as the Gen Z favourite in the race to become prime minister after gaining rockstar-like popularity on social media during the recent protests.
Mr Shah is riding a powerful wave of public anger towards traditional political parties, highlighting healthcare and education for poorer Nepalis as key pillars of his campaign. Early trends indicated former prime minister Oli's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) leading in just nine seats, while the Nepali Congress, the country's oldest party, was ahead in only twelve. Notably, the former rapper was also leading Mr Oli in the latter's home constituency of Jhapa 5 near the Indian border.
Election Commission Pledges Swift Results
Ram Prasad Bhandari, the chief election commissioner, has pledged to complete the vote count by 9 March. The Election Commission stated it will announce the results for the 165 directly elected seats within 24 hours of counting. The tallying of votes cast under the proportional representation system is expected to take a further two to three days, officials confirmed. The election commission reported nearly 60 per cent of the country's almost 19 million registered voters participated in Thursday's vote, including nearly one million first-time voters.
Gen Z Candidates and Youth-Led Change
The RSP has fielded nine Gen Z candidates, including 29-year-old Sasmit Pokharel, a former aide to Mr Shah who stepped down as mayor in January to contest the parliamentary election. Educated partly in the United States, Mr Pokharel has a background in urban planning and education policy. "The old leaders have proven themselves incompetent and arrogant," he asserted. "We need fresh voices."
Mr Shah studied civil engineering and is the son of a practitioner of traditional medicine. The rapper gained a substantial following with his politically charged songs, using lyrics such as "fools" and "looting thieves" for the country's politicians. He has positioned himself as the face of youth-led political change, pledging to expand access to healthcare and education for poorer communities while improving the business environment for entrepreneurs in the country.
Background of Political Instability and Protest
Political instability has plagued the nation of 30 million people, landlocked between nuclear powers India and China, for decades, crippling its largely agrarian economy in the Hindu-majority country. Nepal has also faced rising unemployment and widespread corruption, fuelling profound public dissatisfaction. The long-simmering discontent erupted into street protests last September, sparked by a social media ban that drew thousands onto the streets and led to violent clashes and deaths, ultimately forcing Mr Oli to resign.
Authorities confirmed nearly 80 people were killed during the unrest, many shot by police after the government ordered a crackdown. Protesters also set fire to several buildings, including parts of parliament, the Supreme Court, and the central government secretariat. The 74-year-old prime minister and his government were forced to resign last September amid mounting public anger over entrenched corruption and social inequality in the Himalayan republic.
The nation, which is heavily dependent on remittances and tourism, particularly from expeditions to Mount Everest and other famed Himalayan peaks, has a per capita gross domestic product of around $1,500. The landslide victory for Balendra Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party marks a significant political shift, driven by a new generation seeking transformative change in Nepal's governance and future direction.
