A newly formed political party in Nepal, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is poised for a landslide victory in the country's parliamentary election. Led by former rapper Balendra Shah, the party has secured a strong lead following protests that ousted long-standing leadership. This marks the first such election since youth-led unrest in 2025.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), or National Independent Party, formed four years ago, has won 103 of the 165 directly elected seats in Nepal's House of Representatives, according to results published by the Election Commission on March 8, 2026. The party is also leading in 21 other constituencies, while other political parties and independent candidates have secured 27 seats so far. Officials continued counting votes on Sunday, with final results expected later in the week.
RSP's prime ministerial candidate, Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician and former mayor of Kathmandu, played a key role in the 2025 uprising that removed former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli. Shah recently defeated Oli in the Jhapa constituency, about 430 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu.
Nepal's parliamentary system includes 165 directly elected members and 110 seats allocated through proportional representation based on vote shares. RSP leads with approximately 51% of the proportional seats. Voters use two ballots: one for individual candidates, often party nominees, and another for preferred parties. With more than half the directly elected seats and over 50% of the proportional votes, RSP appears positioned to form a government, requiring support from at least half of the 275 total members.
This outcome unseats the traditionally dominant Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), which have alternated in power for decades. Local media described the results as historic. "RSP set for a landslide victory," reported The Himalayan Times. Annapurna Post called it a "people's ballot revolt; shift in political paradigm."
Supporters celebrated wins with flower garlands, bouquets, scarves, and red vermilion powder in various constituencies. However, party officials urged candidates and supporters to avoid victory rallies or public celebrations, respecting the dozens of lives lost during last year's protests. Those demonstrations, sparked by a social media ban and focused on corruption and poor governance, escalated into widespread unrest, resulting in dozens killed and hundreds wounded as protesters targeted government buildings and faced police fire.
