KATHMANDU: The party of rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was leading in more than two-thirds of the seats where vote counts were available in Nepal’s general elections on Friday, according to early results.
Shah’s centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party was ahead in 52 of the 65 seats where leads had been reported by Friday afternoon. Vote counting is still underway for 165 directly elected seats in the 275-member lower house of parliament, while the remaining seats will be allocated through proportional representation.
Shah, 35, who previously served as mayor of Kathmandu, gained widespread popularity after a youth-led uprising last year. His strong social media presence and anti-establishment message helped him attract significant support during the election campaign.
Early trends show former prime minister K P Sharma Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) leading in four seats, while the Nepali Congress party was ahead in six.
Shah was also leading against Oli in the latter’s home constituency of Jhapa-5 near the Indian border. Officials said results for the directly elected seats are expected by Friday evening or Saturday. If Shah secures power, it would mark a dramatic rise for a figure who first gained prominence through rap music criticizing the political establishment before entering politics.
Nepal, a Himalayan nation of around 30 million people situated between China and India, has experienced frequent political instability for decades. The country continues to face economic challenges, including unemployment and corruption, which have fueled public frustration and protests in recent years.
