- By Surarika Das
- Sat, 07 Mar 2026 09:11 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
As the counting goes underway, rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah's party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, is heading towards a possible victory. As per the latest Election Commission data, the RSP has won 36 seats and is leading in 83 constituencies.
CPN-UML and Nepali Congress Trail Behind
The Nepali Congress is ahead in 11 seats, while the CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist) is also leading in 11 constituencies. The 2026 Nepal elections are significant as they marked the first-ever election in the Asian nation after the Gen Z protest, which ousted the KP Sharma Oli-led government last year.
Initial data released by the Election Commission showed the RSP had secured 22,442 votes – about 56.83 per cent – out of the 39,483 ballots counted so far. The party has already won 15 seats in the first-past-the-post contest and is leading in more than 100 other constituencies, pointing to a significant shift away from Nepal’s traditional political entities.
The established Nepali Congress was a distant second with 7,505 votes, accounting for roughly 19 percent of the early count. The pro-monarchy Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) was in third place with 3,169 votes, followed closely by the CPN-UML with 2,990 votes.
What will Balen's win mean to India?
Balendra “Balen” Shah, 35, had emerged as the youngest political leader in contention for Nepal’s prime ministerial race.
Some of Balen's previous remarks about India have drawn criticism. In 2023, he called for a ban on Indian movies in Nepal, pointing out that a Bollywood film described the Hindu goddess Sita as “India’s daughter,” a claim he contested by pointing to traditions placing her birthplace in present-day Nepal or near the Nepal–Bihar border.
The same year, he was found displaying a “Greater Nepal” map in his office—including certain Indian territories—which he described as a symbolic reply to India’s “Akhand Bharat” mural in its new Parliament building.
In 2025, he once again created controversy after putting out a post that included swear words against India, US and China. Later, he deleted the post after it drew flak.
However, last month, he removed the China-linked Damak Industrial Park project from his election manifesto. The project, located in former premier Oli’s stronghold of Jhapa-5, is considered a key component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The move is seen as a reassurance to India, particularly regarding the security of the strategically sensitive Siliguri Corridor.
Moreover, the RSP manifesto stresses the need for balanced foreign relations. As a relatively young and pragmatic leader—who studied in India’s Karnataka—Shah is expected to prioritise economic cooperation, infrastructure development and anti-corruption reforms that could strengthen bilateral ties.
While he has rejected certain BRI-linked initiatives and criticised the Nepali political elite’s closeness to Beijing, his lack of governing experience could lead to unpredictable foreign policy decisions.
Overall, a Shah-led government could signal a disruptive, youth-driven shift away from Nepal’s traditional political establishment.