- Balen Shah leads RSP to sweeping victory in Nepal polls
- RSP win signals shift from legacy parties in Nepal politics
Hyderabad: Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, is poised to form the government in Nepal after his party secured a sweeping victory in the general election. The Rashtriya Swatantra Party has defeated several established parties in the politically fragile Himalayan nation.
Balen Shah, the 35 year old prime ministerial candidate of the Rashtriya Swatantra Party, defeated four time former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli in the Jhapa 5 constituency. According to the Election Commission, Shah secured 68,348 votes while Oli received 18,734 votes.
RSP victory reflects shift in Nepal politics
The Election Commission said the RSP won 107 of the 138 seats for which results had been declared by Sunday morning. The party also achieved a clean sweep in all 15 constituencies across three districts of the Kathmandu Valley.
Meanwhile, the election results indicate a strong public rejection of established political parties. Many voters focused on issues such as fighting corruption, ending nepotism, and bringing generational change to Nepal’s leadership.
If Shah takes office, he will become the first Madhesi prime minister of Nepal. He will also be the youngest person to occupy the post in the country’s parliamentary history.
Legacy parties face major setbacks
The Nepali Congress remained a distant second with 15 seats and leads in three constituencies. The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) secured seven seats and leads in three more.
The Nepali Communist Party won six seats and leads in one. The Shrama Shakti Party won one seat and leads in two constituencies. Meanwhile, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party secured one seat.
Several senior leaders also faced defeats. Among them were Nepali Congress president Gagan Thapa and other prominent figures including Guru Raj Ghimire, Shekhar Koirala, and Bimalendra Nidhi.
Senior leaders from the CPN UML also lost their seats. These included general secretary Shankar Pokharel and vice presidents Bishnu Paudel, Prithvi Subba Gurung, and Gokarna Bista.
Other notable results and voter participation
Meanwhile, former deputy speaker Indira Rana Magar of the RSP won from Jhapa 2. She defeated Dev Raj Ghimire of the CPN UML with 48,742 votes against his 11,368 votes.
RSP chairman Rabi Lamichhane also secured victory from the Chitwan 2 constituency. He received 54,402 votes, while his nearest rival Mina Kumari Kharel of the Nepali Congress received 14,564 votes.
Former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal also won from the Rukum Purba district with 10,240 votes. Meanwhile, RPP candidate Gyanendra Shahi won from the Jumla constituency.
The Election Commission reported that around 60 percent voter turnout was recorded during the March 5 election to the House of Representatives. Vote counting began late Thursday night and continued on Sunday morning in the remaining constituencies.
Nepal’s election was closely watched by India as well. Narendra Modi congratulated the people and government of Nepal for the successful conduct of the election. He said, “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.”
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