Nepal’s early vote count puts ex-rapper’s party ahead

Nepal’s early vote count puts ex-rapper’s party ahead

Following initial tallies in Nepal’s general election, Balendra Shah’s political party has emerged as the frontrunner, outperforming other contenders. This includes former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, who stepped down after a notable protest movement led by youth last year. At 35 years old, Shah, who previously held the position of Kathmandu’s mayor, has dominated the race to become Nepal’s prime minister, gaining traction across the nation.

Early data from the election commission, released on Friday, indicated that Shah’s centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party led in 37 seats, while Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist – UML) held the advantage in three. Meanwhile, the centrist Nepali Congress, under the leadership of 49-year-old Gagan Thapa, was ahead in five seats. Officials anticipate final results by Friday evening or Saturday.

With 275 seats in the lower house of parliament, 165 have been counted via direct voting, while the remaining 110 will be decided through proportional representation. During the campaign, Shah attracted significant public support, engaging with young voters both locally and online, despite challenging Oli in his home district, Jhapa 5, near the Indian border.

Nepal, located between China and India, has endured political upheaval for years, negatively impacting its agrarian economy and increasing unemployment. Structural problems like corruption have deepened this instability. The crisis reached a peak in late September when protests, ignited by a social media ban, mobilized thousands. These demonstrations, which led to clashes and fatalities, compelled Oli to resign.