KATHMANDU: In a political earthquake that has decimated Nepal’s traditional powerhouses, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah (popularly known as ‘Balen’), is headed for a historic landslide victory. In the general elections held on March 5, 2026, the RSP secured 122 of the 165 directly elected seats, moving toward a two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives.
Balen Shah himself delivered a crushing defeat to veteran leader and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in the Jhapa-5 constituency, winning by a staggering margin of nearly 50,000 votes. This victory follows the “Gen Z uprising” of late 2025 and reflects a massive public shift toward new leadership focused on anti-corruption and governance.
Balen is expected to become the youngest Prime Minister in Nepal’s history, marking the first time in 27 years that a single party has secured such a decisive mandate. (PTI)
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