Nepal’s political landscape is witnessing a upheaval as early election results on Friday show the newly-formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) surging ahead. These are the first general elections held since the country was rocked by violent "Gen Z" protests, which ultimately led to the collapse of the coalition government headed by KP Sharma Oli.
Led by the former rapper and Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, popularly known as "Balen," the RSP has already claimed one seat and holds a commanding lead in 36 others. In contrast, the established parties are struggling to find their footing; the Nepali Congress is currently leading in just five seats, while Oli’s CPN (UML) is ahead in three. Early reports suggest a clean sweep for the RSP across all ten constituencies in the capital, Kathmandu.
The scale of the RSP’s momentum is perhaps best illustrated in the Kathmandu 1 constituency. According to party officials, their candidate Ranju Darshana has secured a victory by a "huge margin," reportedly doubling the vote count of her nearest rival from the Nepali Congress. Although the Election Commission has yet to make the official declaration, the mood within the RSP camp is one of triumph. Even more striking is the situation in Jhapa 5, where Balen himself is currently leading against the ousted Prime Minister Oli, a veteran of Nepalese politics.
Thursday's vote saw a 60 per cent turnout as 18.9 million eligible voters cast their ballots to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives. The process involves a mix of direct voting for 165 seats and a proportionate system for the remaining 110. With roughly 6,500 candidates in the fray across both systems, the sheer volume of counting means that while the RSP’s lead is significant, the final tally is not expected until late Friday night.
The rise of the RSP, which only formed in 2022, underscored a deep-seated public desire for change following last year’s civil unrest. While the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) have put forward Gagan Thapa and KP Sharma Oli respectively as their prime ministerial faces, the momentum currently sits with Balen. Having successfully tapped into the frustrations of a younger generation, he is now being viewed as a very serious contender for the premiership.
Also read: Nepal votes in first polls since Gen Z protests
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