Rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah leads RSP to sweeping mandate in Nepal polls

Kathmandu: Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah and his centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) appeared headed for a landslide victory Saturday, as early Election Commission trends suggested a historic mandate that could upend Nepal’s established political order.

The parliamentary elections held on Thursday were the first since the violent, youth-led "Gen Z" uprising in September 2025. Those protests, which resulted in the deaths of at least 77 people, were ignited by a social media ban but rapidly evolved into a national revolt against systemic corruption and economic stagnation, eventually toppling the government of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.

According to preliminary data released Saturday, Shah’s RSP is on track to secure a majority in the 275-member House of Representatives. "Looking at the trend, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has taken the lead in many places and has won several seats," commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told AFP.

Political analyst Chandra Dev Bhatta characterised the emerging results as a "people's revolt."

"This is heading to a landslide victory — this reflects the frustration that has been building up," Bhatta said. "The people understand that the new do not really have strong agendas, but it is a punishment to the parties for their decades-long poor governance."

As of Saturday morning, with 34 results officially declared, the RSP had secured 27 seats, while the veteran Nepali Congress took four. The CPN-UML, led by the ousted Oli, trailed significantly with only one confirmed seat. Trends showed the RSP leading in 90 of the 165 directly elected constituencies and capturing more than half of the votes counted so far for the 110 proportional representation seats.

In a symbolic clash of generations, the 35-year-old Shah, widely known as "Balen", maintained a commanding lead in his head-to-head contest against the 74-year-old Oli in the latter's longtime stronghold of Jhapa-5.

Despite the early success, RSP deputy chairman DP Aryal urged supporters to delay their victory celebrations. "Once we work, a day will come for us to celebrate," he posted on social media.

The 2025 unrest left deep scars on the nation’s capital, with the ruins of government buildings and the torched home of the former prime minister serving as stark reminders of the violence. Kunda Dixit, publisher of the Nepali Times, noted that the result underscores a profound "public disenchantment with the old parties."

Full nationwide tallies for the proportional seats are expected to take at least a week, though direct election results may be finalised by Monday.

With inputs from AFP