Balen Shah's RSP sweeps Nepal parliament; former rapper and Kathmandu mayor to become Prime Minister

Balendra “Balen” Shah’s Rastriya Swotantra Party (RSP) swept Nepal’s parliamentary election, winning 182 of 275 seats and putting the rapper-turned-politician on track to become the country’s next prime minister.

“Former rapper’s fledgling political party sweeps Nepal’s first post-revolt election Former rapper’s fledgling political party sweeps Nepal’s first post-revolt election KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — A political party created just four years ago and led by an ex-rapper has swept Nepal’s parliamentary poll, results published by the electoral commission on Thursday showed”

Associated Press

The outcome gives the RSP nearly a two-thirds presence in the House of Representatives and marks a decisive victory in the first national poll since last year’s youth-led revolt.

Associated Press

Election authorities will now ask parties to submit names for proportional representation seats, after which the president will summon the new parliament to elect a prime minister.

The RSP’s 182 seats leave it just two seats short of a formal two-thirds supermajority in the 275-seat chamber, an unusual concentration of power given Nepal’s mixed electoral system.

Under that system 165 members are directly elected and 110 allocated by proportional representation; parties will now provide lists to fill PR seats before parliament convenes.

BBC

Observers note the party’s total gives it overwhelming leverage in forming government and shaping early parliamentary business.

The election was held in the shadow of mass youth-led protests that began after a government social media ban and wide grievances over corruption and governance.

“Reported by Balendra “Balen” Shah, a 35-year-old former rapper, structural engineer, and mayor of Kathmandu, is set to become Nepal’s next Prime Minister after his landslide victory in the country’s general election was announced Thursday”

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

Those demonstrations led to the dissolution of the House of Representatives in September 2025, produced large-scale clashes with security forces and left dozens dead; a BBC probe says the police chief authorised lethal force against unarmed demonstrators.

The revolt and its violent aftermath were central to the political momentum that propelled the RSP to victory.

Shah’s personal profile and campaign style helped fuel the RSP surge: he is a former rapper, structural engineer and the sitting mayor of Kathmandu who cultivated a large social media following and campaigned directly with young voters.

He refused many media interviews during the campaign, leaned on social-media creators, and publicly aligned himself with the Gen-Z protesters; in a high-profile constituency contest he defeated former premier KP Sharma Oli by a large margin.

Associated Press

Analysts and protest leaders framed the result as a mandate for change — particularly on corruption and governance — but they also emphasise that the RSP is largely untested at the national level and faces immediate governance tasks.

“- Published The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has won a landslide in Nepal's election - the first held since last year's youth-led protests toppled the then government”

BBC

The party was only founded in 2022 and campaigned on addressing unemployment and inequality; supporters now hope the new government will follow through on anti-corruption pledges while the formation of a new cabinet and parliamentary agenda is expected to take days to a week.

BBC