RSP Sweeps Nepal Polls; Shah Set to Be Next Prime Minister
Key Points:
- Balen Shah wins Jhapa-5 with record 68,348 votes in Nepal election
- Former PM KP Sharma Oli routed in own stronghold with just 18,734 votes
- RSP leads nationally; Shah poised to become Nepal’s next prime minister
NEW DELHI – Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party swept Nepal’s March 5 general election, decimating former premier KP Sharma Oli in Jhapa-5 by nearly 50,000 votes.
The final official tally gave Shah 68,348 votes. However, veteran communist leader Oli, 74, could muster just 18,734 votes in his own longtime stronghold. The winning margin stood at a decisive 49,614 votes.
Remarkably, Shah’s vote count is the highest ever recorded in Nepal’s parliamentary election history. Previously, that very record had belonged to Oli himself. Oli had secured 57,139 votes from the same Jhapa-5 seat back in 2017.
The result breakdown in Jhapa-5 was as follows:
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Balendra Shah | Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) | 68,348 |
| KP Sharma Oli | CPN-UML | 18,734 |
| Samir Tamang | Shram Sanskriti Party | 9,233 |
| Mandhara Chimariya | Nepali Congress | 1,821 |
| Laxmi Prasad Sangraula | Rastriya Prajatantra Party | 1,536 |
Of Jhapa-5’s 163,379 registered voters, 106,568 turned out on election day. The exceptionally high turnout underscored intense public interest in the contest.
Both candidates had deliberately chosen Jhapa. Observers had dubbed the constituency an “election epicentre.” Moreover, Oli had won this very seat six consecutive times over three decades.
Shah, 35, is a structural engineer turned rapper turned politician. He previously served as Mayor of Kathmandu. On the other hand, he built his entire campaign on an anti-establishment, anti-corruption platform.
His rise was closely linked to the violent Gen Z protests of September 2025. Those protests erupted on September 8-9, 2025, demanding an end to corruption, nepotism and outdated governance. At least 77 protesters, mostly students, lost their lives in police crackdowns.
Meanwhile, Oli’s coalition government was toppled as a direct result. Oli resigned as Prime Minister on September 9, 2025. President Ram Chandra Poudel subsequently dissolved the House of Representatives on September 12.
Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was named caretaker Prime Minister. Significantly, she became the first woman ever to lead a government in Nepal. Fresh elections were thereafter scheduled for March 5, 2026.
The burnt ruins of Oli’s own Jhapa residence served as a stark symbol. His home had been torched during the September unrest. Hundreds of other buildings, including parliament itself, were also set ablaze during those protests.
“The margin is truly shocking,” said a young student from Jhapa. “It shows how deeply unhappy people were with those in power.”
RSP was formed in 2022 by media personality Rabi Lamichhane. In addition, Shah formally joined the party only in January 2026, just weeks before the election. The party’s campaign slogan was “Ab ki bar Balendra Sarkar” — meaning “This time, Balendra’s government.”
Nationally, the RSP’s performance was equally historic. The party had won 63 seats and was leading in 58 more by Saturday evening. In contrast, Nepali Congress won nine seats, while Oli’s CPN-UML trailed with just three.
RSP chairman Lamichhane also secured a comfortable win from Chitwan-2. He polled 54,402 votes against Nepali Congress rival Mina Kumari Kharel, who received 14,564 votes.
Besides, the RSP swept all constituencies in the Kathmandu Valley. The party was also leading in 22 of the 32 seats in Madhesh province. Nepal has seen 14 governments in just 18 years, making this shift all the more significant.
A political analyst remarked that Shah’s rise reflects deep public frustration with the old political order. “His first responsibility must be to prove that corruption will not be tolerated,” the analyst noted.
The Nepal election 2026 results signal the most dramatic political shift the Himalayan nation has seen in decades. The Rastriya Swatantra Party’s sweeping win crushed legacy parties across the country. Meanwhile, Balen Shah’s victory over KP Sharma Oli in his own bastion marks a watershed moment. The Gen Z protests in Nepal that toppled Oli’s government were the catalyst for this change. On the other hand, KP Sharma Oli’s CPN-UML now faces an existential crisis after this historic rout. Observers note that Nepal’s next government will be led by a 35-year-old former rapper for the first time.
