Balendra Shah, foreground, former mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and prime ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, arrives to receive his victory certificate after defeating former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli of the Communist Party of Nepal–Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) in Jhapa, about 267 miles (430 kilometers) southeast of Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, March 8, 2026. Niranjan Shrestha/AP
KATHMANDU, Nepal — A newly formed Nepali political party led by an ex-rapper appears headed for a landslide in the country’s first parliamentary election since Gen Z–led protests toppled the long-standing leadership.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (National Independent Party), founded four years ago, had already secured 103 of the 165 directly elected seats and was leading in 21 more constituencies in results published Sunday by Nepal’s Election Commission. Other parties and independents had won 27 seats so far. Officials continued counting votes Sunday with final results expected later in the week.
The party’s prime ministerial candidate, Balendra Shah, the rapper-turned-politician who won Kathmandu’s 2022 mayoral race, emerged as a prominent figure during the 2025 uprising that helped remove former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli. In one notable contest, Shah defeated Oli in Jhapa.
Nepal’s lower house, the House of Representatives, has 165 directly elected members; the remaining 110 of the 275-member body are filled through proportional representation based on party vote share. On Sunday, RSP also led with about 51% of the proportional representation vote, giving it a strong overall majority position. Parties need support from half the lower chamber’s members to form a government.
RSP’s surge unseats the two parties that have dominated Nepali politics for decades: the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist). Local papers called the result historic. The Himalayan Times ran “RSP set for a landslide victory,” while Annapurna Post said, “People’s ballot revolt; shift in political paradigm.”
Supporters celebrated in several constituencies with garlands, bouquets, scarves and red vermilion powder. Party officials, however, urged candidates and backers to refrain from public victory rallies in deference to the dozens killed during last year’s youth-led protests.
Last year’s unrest began after a social media ban and escalated into mass demonstrations over corruption and poor governance. Dozens died and hundreds were wounded as protesters attacked government buildings and police opened fire.