Rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah defeats four-time former prime minister as anti-corruption mandate reshapes Himalayan nation’s politics
KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepal’s political landscape has been transformed by a historic election result, with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra “Balen” Shah securing a commanding majority in parliament, according to final results released Sunday by the Election Commission .
The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor defeated four-time former prime minister KP Sharma Oli in the Jhapa-5 constituency by a margin of nearly 50,000 votes, securing 68,348 votes against Oli’s 18,734 . The victory marks one of the most dramatic upsets in Nepali political history and reflects deep public frustration with decades of corruption, instability, and economic stagnation .
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“This is heading to a landslide victory – this reflects the frustration that has been building up,” said political analyst Chandra Dev Bhatta. “It is actually the people’s revolt against the established political parties” .
Landslide numbers
The RSP has won 110 seats through direct voting and is projected to secure approximately 80 seats through proportional representation, giving the party nearly 200 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives – a comfortable two-thirds majority that would allow it to govern alone . This marks a stunning ascent for a party that made its electoral debut in 2022 with just 21 seats .
Traditional parties suffered historic defeats. The Nepali Congress won only 13 seats and was leading in three, while Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) managed just seven seats . The Nepal Communist Party, led by former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda,” won six seats . Prachanda himself managed to retain his seat in Rukum Purba district .
Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa, 49, who was projected as his party’s prime ministerial candidate, lost from Dhanusha-4 constituency to RSP’s Amaresh Singh . Ten office bearers of the CPN-UML, including general secretary Shankar Pokharel, also faced defeat .
The RSP achieved a clean sweep of all 15 seats in the Kathmandu Valley – ten in Kathmandu district, two in Bhaktapur, and three in Lalitpur district – a feat analysts attribute to a massive road-show led by Shah on the final day of campaigning . The party also dominated in Madhesh province, winning eight seats and leading in 22 others .
Gen Z revolt translates to votes
Thursday’s election was the first since September 2025, when youth-led protests under a loose Gen Z banner toppled Oli’s government . The demonstrations began over a brief social media ban but quickly escalated into a nationwide movement against corruption, nepotism, and economic mismanagement, leaving at least 77 people dead after violent clashes with security forces .
The protests saw key government buildings—including parliament, the Supreme Court, and the central secretariat—set ablaze . Since the unrest, Nepal has been governed by an interim administration led by former chief justice Sushila Karki .
Voter turnout was estimated at approximately 60 percent, with nearly 19 million voters eligible to cast ballots . In Nepal’s mountainous terrain, ballot boxes from remote regions were transported by helicopter to counting centres .
Sunil Babu Pant, former MP and political analyst, said: “The victory of the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the March 5 election and the expectation that Balen Shah could emerge as Nepal’s next prime minister reflect the people’s deep-rooted frustration with the old political order and their hope for a new direction” .
Concession and congratulations
Oli, 74, who had bitterly criticized the Gen Z protests and was widely seen as having failed to grasp the public mood, conceded defeat gracefully on social media platform X .
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“Congratulations! Wish you a smooth and successful five-year tenure,” Oli wrote, attaching a 2022 photo showing him gifting a tabla to Shah after the then-rapper won the Kathmandu mayoral race as an independent candidate .
Shah, who did not make a speech after his victory, flashed a V-for-victory sign to cheering supporters and later toured the streets of his constituency in a victory parade, waving from the sunroof of a car as crowds chanted “Balen” .
Historic firsts
Shah will become Nepal’s first Madhesi prime minister and the youngest person to occupy the country’s top post in its parliamentary history . His rise from rapper to Kathmandu mayor in 2022 to prime ministerial candidate in just four years represents an unprecedented trajectory in Nepali politics .
The election also saw ten women candidates emerge victorious – nine from the RSP and one from the Nepali Congress .
International reaction
India, Nepal’s southern neighbour and key partner, is closely watching the political transition . Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the people and government of Nepal on Saturday for the successful conduct of the election.
“It is heartening to see my Nepali sisters and brothers exercise their democratic rights so vibrantly. This historic milestone is a proud moment in Nepal’s democratic journey,” Modi said in a post on X .
He added that as a close friend and neighbour, India remains committed to working with the people of Nepal and its new government “to scale new heights of shared peace, progress and prosperity” .
The United States and China, both significant players in Nepal’s geopolitical landscape, are watching the outcome with interest . China had remained conspicuously silent during the election campaign, offering only general good wishes rather than rallying support for leftist parties .
Challenges ahead
Shah faces formidable challenges. The RSP’s campaign centered on anti-corruption, good governance, an end to nepotism, and generational change in political leadership – all demands raised during the Gen Z protests . Implementing these reforms will require navigating a complex political landscape.
“As Balen assumes the country’s leadership, his first responsibility must be to demonstrate that corruption will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” Pant said .
The new government must also manage Nepal’s delicate geopolitical position. Pant warned: “He must prove that he is not a puppet of any external power, western or otherwise. Nepal’s leadership must carefully balance relations with all global actors and pursue an independent foreign policy that prioritises national interest” .
A ten-point agreement negotiated between protest leaders and the interim government, encompassing Gen Z’s reform agenda, awaits implementation. Some reforms, including changes to Nepal’s mixed electoral system, will require constitutional amendments – a process made easier by the RSP’s two-thirds majority .
Nepal’s March 2026 election has delivered a seismic shift in the country’s political landscape. The RSP’s landslide victory represents not merely a change of government but a wholesale rejection of the political establishment that has dominated since the end of civil war in 2006.
For the young Nepalis who risked their lives in last year’s protests, the result offers hope that their demands for accountability, opportunity, and clean governance will finally be addressed. For the defeated old guard, it marks the end of an era.
As Shah prepares to take office, the nation watches to see whether the rapper-turned-revolutionary can translate his electoral mandate into the transformative change millions have been waiting for.
With inputs from
1 RNZ: Balen Shah defeats former prime minister in historic Nepal election
2 The Hindu: Balendra Shah’s RSP makes history, registers landmark victory in Nepal election
4 AFP via RTL Today: Nepal’s rapper-led centrist party heads for poll landslide
5 Al Jazeera: Nepalese vote in general election months after Gen Z uprising
6 ABC News: Rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah defeats former PM in historic Nepal election
7 Times of India: Nepal Election Results 2026 Live
8 AFP via Oman Observer: Nepal awaits results in key post-uprising polls
10 The Tribune: Nepal’s ‘pairo’: RSP’s landslide victory signals end of old guard, new era in politics
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