A day after Nepal voted to elect its next prime minister, the country seems to be heading to create history as rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, is likely to emerge as the face the voters may just have placed their trust in. Early counting trends from Nepal’s general elections show a steep surge for Balen’s Rastriya Swatantrata Party (RSP) taking a commanding lead in the race for the House of Representatives.
Initial trends on Friday morning indicated the party was ahead in 52 of the 165 seats for which candidates are elected directly. This is far outpacing its rivals and signalling a potential political realignment in the Himalayan nation.
The main challenger, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML) led by former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, was trailing significantly with leads in just four seats.
The Nepali Congress, which has projected party president Gagan Kumar Thapa as its prime ministerial candidate, was ahead in five seats, while the Nepali Communist Party had secured a lead in only one constituency.
Another former Prime Minister, Pushpa Kamal Dahal (Prachand), is also in the fray from the Rukum (East) constituency.
Shah himself is locked in a closely watched direct contest with Oli in Jhapa, a race that has drawn national attention as a symbol of the battle between Nepal’s political old guard and a new generation of leaders. As the trends showed, Shah was miles ahead of Oli in Jhapa, leading by nearly 1,100 votes, with the former PM accounting for close to 4,00.
The early momentum places Shah, a 35-year-old former rapper and the ex-mayor of Kathmandu, on track to potentially reshape Nepal’s political landscape as the country’s next prime minister.
His party, formed only a few years ago, has positioned itself as a reformist force championing anti-corruption, transparency and generational change.
FIRST POLLS SINCE GEN-Z PROTESTS
Thursday’s vote marked Nepal’s first general election since the violent Gen Z-led protests in September last year that forced Oli’s coalition government from power.
The demonstrations, sparked by anger over corruption, governance failures and a controversial social media ban, resulted in more than 70 deaths and plunged the country into a period of political upheaval.
Following the unrest, the House of Representatives was dissolved and Sushila Karki was appointed caretaker prime minister to oversee the transition and prepare the country for fresh elections.
Voter participation appeared robust across the country. Election officials estimated turnout at around 60 percent among Nepal’s nearly 19 million eligible voters, with many polling stations reporting long queues and heavy participation from young and first-time voters.
Authorities said more than half of the electorate had cast their ballots by the afternoon on polling day.
The election will determine the composition of Nepal’s 275-member House of Representatives.
Of these, 165 lawmakers are elected through the first-past-the-post system, while the remaining 110 are chosen through proportional representation.
More than 3,400 candidates contested the direct seats, while over 3,100 candidates were nominated under the proportional system.
KEY ISSUES FOR VOTERS DURING ELECTIONS
Economic anxieties and governance issues dominated the campaign. High unemployment, corruption allegations and demands for institutional reform were frequently cited by voters, particularly younger Nepalis who played a prominent role in last year’s protests.
Observers say the surge of support for Shah’s party reflects growing frustration with decades of political instability, during which Nepal has witnessed dozens of government changes.
Political analysts note that the election could prove pivotal for addressing the aspirations expressed during the youth-led protests.
Failure by the next government to deliver meaningful reforms, they warn, could risk renewed unrest.
Vote counting is continuing across the country and final results are expected in the coming days.
If current trends hold, Shah’s RSP could emerge as the dominant force in parliament, potentially ushering in a new phase of leadership and political change in Nepal.
With agency inputs
