Rapper Balen Shah’s party wins Nepal parliamentary election

Balendra Shah has secured a major political victory in Nepal after his party emerged as the winner in the country’s parliamentary election.

Official results released by the Election Commission of Nepal show that the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won 182 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives following the March 5 vote.

The election filled seats in the lower chamber of parliament through a mixed system, with 165 members elected directly from constituencies and another 110 chosen through proportional representation.

Party falls just short of a two-thirds majority

According to the election commission, the RSP secured 125 constituency seats and 57 seats through proportional representation, leaving the party just two seats short of a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

The commission has asked political parties to submit the final names of candidates selected through proportional representation within three days to complete the formation of the parliament.

Shah also won his individual parliamentary contest, defeating former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli by a wide margin. Shah received 68,348 votes compared to Oli’s 18,734.

Rapid political rise

The RSP was founded in 2022 by television presenter and politician Rabi Lamichhane on a platform centred on governance reform and anti-corruption.

Shah, who first gained popularity as a rapper before entering politics, has built strong support among young voters frustrated with Nepal’s traditional political parties.

He previously won the 2022 mayoral election in Kathmandu, which helped establish his political profile nationally.

During protests in September 2025 triggered by a government ban on several social media platforms, Shah publicly supported the demonstrators and criticised the administration of then-prime minister Oli.

Campaign promises focus on jobs and economic growth

In the party’s manifesto released ahead of the election, Shah pledged to create about 1.2 million jobs, reduce labour migration abroad, expand healthcare protection and accelerate economic growth over the next five years.

In the parliamentary race, the Nepali Congress won 38 seats, while the communist bloc led by Oli secured 25 seats. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) finished with seven seats.

The results mark a dramatic shift in Nepal’s political landscape, with a relatively new party and a non-traditional political figure gaining widespread support across the country.

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