Kathmandu is on the verge of finalizing the results of its recent parliamentary elections, with only about two percent of votes still pending tallying. The spotlight remains firmly on Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old rapper who has transitioned into politics and now leads the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which appears poised to secure a commanding majority in the new legislature. Shah’s remarkable journey from serving as the mayor of Nepal’s capital to potentially becoming the country’s prime minister represents a significant and unexpected shift in the nation’s political landscape.
The elections, held on March 5, were the first parliamentary polls since a wave of youth-driven anti-corruption protests shook Nepal last September, ultimately toppling the previous government. These protests, marked by their intensity and occasional violence, reflected widespread public frustration with entrenched political corruption and governance failures. Shah’s victory is particularly notable because he unseated KP Sharma Oli, a seasoned politician and former prime minister who had led a Marxist government before being forced out amid the unrest. Shah’s triumph over such a veteran figure underscores the electorate’s appetite for fresh leadership and change.
Adding a cultural twist to the political drama, videos of Nepalese citizens imitating Shah’s dance moves during the election period went viral on social media platforms, symbolizing the unique blend of entertainment and politics that has characterized his rise. This phenomenon highlights how Shah’s persona resonates with younger voters and those seeking a break from traditional political norms.
The newly elected House of Representatives comprises 275 members, with 165 seats filled through direct elections and the remaining 110 allocated via proportional representation (PR). The RSP has dominated the direct election segment, winning approximately three-quarters of those seats—125 out of 165— the latest official figures. In the proportional representation category, the party also leads significantly, capturing nearly half of the votes counted so far, with just over 200,000 ballots still awaiting verification.
Election Commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai indicated that the vote counting process is nearing completion and that the final distribution of PR seats will soon be announced. Should the current trends hold, the RSP is expected to achieve a landslide victory, potentially securing around 176 seats in total. This figure approaches the 183 seats required for a supermajority, which would grant the party considerable legislative power. However, the exact seat allocation may vary slightly depending on how votes for smaller parties that failed to meet the electoral threshold are treated in the final calculations.
Legal experts caution that despite the swift counting of votes, the formal appointment of a new prime minister could still take over a week. Bipin Adhikari, a constitutional law professor at Kathmandu University, explained that the process involves the Election Commission submitting its official report to the president, who will then invite RSP lawmakers to propose their candidate for prime minister. Only after this procedural step will the appointment be finalized, marking the official start of Nepal’s next government.
Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress, which was the largest party in the previous parliament, managed to secure only 18 seats in the direct elections, while the Marxist faction led by the ousted KP Sharma Oli won a mere nine seats. This dramatic shift in parliamentary representation signals a profound transformation in Nepal’s political order, driven by voters’ desire for new leadership and governance reforms.
