{"id":34667,"date":"2026-03-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=34667"},"modified":"2026-03-13T00:02:36","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T22:02:36","slug":"rapper-turned-politician-balendra-shah-set-to-become-nepals-prime-minister-after-landslide-election-victory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/rapper-turned-politician-balendra-shah-set-to-become-nepals-prime-minister-after-landslide-election-victory\/","title":{"rendered":"Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah set to become Nepal\u2019s prime minister after landslide election victory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

5 minute read<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nepal\u2019s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) secured a sweeping victory in the country\u2019s latest parliamentary elections, marking the biggest win for a single party in decades and reshaping the country\u2019s political landscape following last year\u2019s deadly protests.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 60 percent of the country\u2019s nearly 19 million eligible voters took part in the election. The results put Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician who rose to prominence as mayor of Kathmandu, on track to become Nepal\u2019s next leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With 182 seats in parliament\u2019s lower house, the RSP fell just two seats short of the two-thirds supermajority required to dominate the chamber outright. Despite that, the result places the party firmly in control of the next government and signals a dramatic shift in public support toward newer political forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The election is the first national vote since youth-led demonstrations last year forced the collapse of the previous government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scale of the RSP\u2019s win is particularly striking given how recently the party was formed. Founded in 2022, the party placed fourth in the election held that same year and was widely seen as a newcomer challenging Nepal\u2019s long-established political group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the latest vote, however, it surged past its rivals. The Nepali Congress finished a distant second with 38 seats, while the Communist Party of Nepal-UML (CPN-UML) secured 25 seats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although the RSP has secured a clear majority, it is expected to take at least a week before a new government is formally formed.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Nepal<\/a>
Balendra Shah, former mayor of Kathmandu popularly known as “Balen”, set to become prime minister of Nepal, shakes hands with Rabi Lamichhane, president of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), during an election campaign in Janakpur, Nepal, on January 19, 2026. (Image Credit: Reuters\/Navesh Chitrakar)<\/sup><\/em>

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Balendra Shah\u2019s Political Rise<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shah\u2019s political career has moved quickly. Before entering national politics, his only major political role was serving as mayor of the capital city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His rise has mirrored the rapid growth of the RSP itself. Both Shah and the party have built their appeal largely on promises of reform and a break from traditional political elites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the election campaign, Shah presented himself as part of a new generation of leaders determined to tackle corruption, economic stagnation, and social inequality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many voters, particularly younger Nepalis, this message proved highly attractive. The election results suggest that the party successfully turned that momentum into nationwide support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nepal\u2019s electoral system makes such a landslide difficult to achieve. The country uses a mixed political model that combines first-past-the-post constituency races with proportional representation. The structure is designed to distribute power among multiple parties and prevent a single group from dominating parliament.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these structural barriers, the RSP managed to secure 182 seats, bringing it within two seats of the supermajority threshold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Analysts say the scale of the victory reflects the depth of public frustration with traditional political parties.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Nepal<\/a>
Balendra Shah is set to become the prime minister of Nepal after the Rastriya Swatantra Party’s (RSP) victory in elections. (Image Credit: X\/@ShahBalen)
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Youth Vote Drives Change<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The election campaign was heavily shaped by the concerns of younger voters, who have become an increasingly influential political bloc in Nepal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Political parties across the spectrum attempted to win their support by focusing on issues such as unemployment, economic stagnation, and inequality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many young voters, however, the RSP appeared to offer the clearest promise of political renewal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The demand for change had already become visible during last year\u2019s protests, which were largely driven by youth activists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those demonstrations began over a social media ban but quickly expanded into a wider movement challenging Nepal\u2019s political system and what protesters described as entrenched privilege among political elites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many protesters used the term \u201cnepo babies\u201d to criticize the children of powerful politicians who were seen as benefiting from family connections and political patronage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The protests eventually became one of the most significant political crises Nepal had faced in years. Demonstrations spread across major cities and were met with a heavy response from security forces. In total, 77 people were killed during the unrest.
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\u092e\u0948\u0932\u0947 \u0924 \u092e\u0947\u0930\u094b \u092e\u0924 \u0905\u0927\u093f\u0915\u093e\u0930 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u092f\u094b\u0917 \u0917\u0930\u0947 \u0964
\u0905\u0928\u093f \u0924\u092a\u093e\u0907\u0901\u0932\u0947 \u0928\u093f ? pic.twitter.com\/JcUr2qbjXM<\/a><\/p>— Balen Shah (@ShahBalen) March 5, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>