RSP Sweeps 2026 Nepal Parliamentary Elections—Balen Shah to be PM

As counting continues on 7 March 2026, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is set to sweep the 2026 Nepal General Election, with Balen Shah to be the next Prime Minister.

Rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah has secured victory from Jhapa-5 in eastern Nepal in the elections for the House of Representatives, defeating former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli by a wide margin in what was described as a battle for the next prime ministership.

However, the contest remained utterly one-sided as Shah, the prime ministerial candidate from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), secured 68,348 votes against 18,734 votes polled by Oli, who suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the newcomer. The votes secured by Shah are the highest-ever in Nepal's parliamentary elections since the 1991 elections.

This is not the first time Oli, chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML), has faced defeat in Jhapa. In 2008, Maoist candidate Bishwadip Lingden had defeated him when the Maoists swept to a massive victory in the 2008 Nepal Constituent Assembly election.

When Shah, the former Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, chose Jhapa-5 — the traditional stronghold of Oli — to contest the election, many had questioned the move. But, that wall has now crumbled in the electoral wave of the RSP, which has won 61 seats and leads in another 61 constituencies out of 165 seats by Saturday evening under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) electoral system. The party is also leading under the proportional representation system, and if the trend continues, it could secure a supermajority in the 275-member House of Representatives.

Shah entered politics only a few years ago, much like his party. But public disenchantment with traditional political parties — including the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML, and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) — had run so high because of their perceived underperformance and corruption that many voters appeared to view Shah and a new generation of leaders as a better alternative.

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Who is Balen Shah?

Shah’s story is that of a new-generation politician who emerged onto the national political scene only recently.

Born on April 27, 1990 in Kathmandu in a Madhesi family that valued education and culture, Shah completed his bachelor’s degree in Kathmandu before pursuing a master’s degree in Structural Engineering from a university in India.

His academic background in engineering gave him a practical understanding of infrastructure, urban development and public works, which helped shape his governance approach during his tenure as Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

Before entering politics, Shah — a structural engineer by profession — had already established himself as a well-known figure in Nepal’s underground hip-hop scene.

As a rapper and lyricist, he gained recognition for socially conscious lyrics reflecting the struggles of Nepali society. His ability to speak bluntly through music earned him a strong following among young people. His song 'Balidan', highlighting the divide between the privileged and the marginalised, resonated strongly with the youth even though rap music has traditionally remained outside Nepal’s mainstream music industry.

Shah first came into the national limelight when he announced his candidacy for Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City — the country’s largest metropolis — as an independent candidate in the 2022 Nepal local elections. He went on to win the post.

After getting elected as Mayor, Shah continued to cultivate his image of a political rebel. He frequently clashed with then Prime Minister Oli and other leaders of traditional political parties on social media over various issues, often attracting thousands of reactions and supporters within minutes.

During his tenure as Mayor, Shah pushed reforms focused on urban issues, including waste management, regulation of illegal structures, transparency in municipal operations and protection of Kathmandu’s cultural heritage.

Amid growing public dissatisfaction with traditional political parties — particularly following a series of corruption scandals involving senior leaders — Shah’s leadership style, often direct and confrontational toward bureaucratic inefficiencies and central authorities, made him both popular among supporters and controversial among critics.

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His unexpected victory set the stage for other ambitious younger figures, such as former media personality Rabi Lamichhane, known for his combative questioning style, to launch the RSP in the same year. Within a few months of its establishment, the RSP emerged as the fourth-largest party in the House of Representatives in the 2022 Nepalese general election.

Last September, Nepal witnessed what many described as a Gen-Z movement, which led to the fall of the government headed by Oli after unrest that resulted in the death of 77 people and damage to public and private property worth over NPR 84 billion, according to government estimates.

During the political vacuum following Oli's ouster, Shah was widely viewed as a potential candidate for the post of Prime Minister, with many Gen-Z youth leaders calling for his leadership. However, he instead backed current interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki to lead the government, which successfully oversaw the parliamentary elections.

Months before the fresh elections held on March 5, Shah and Lamichhane came together under the banner of the RSP — a move that proved to be a masterstroke as the party swept the parliamentary elections.

Shah’s rise in national politics is widely seen as a symbol of generational change in Nepal’s political landscape, as younger voters increasingly demand reform, accountability and stronger youth leadership in the country.

(Inputs from IANS)

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