The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by ex-rapper Balendra Shah, has secured a landslide victory in Nepal's parliamentary election. With results published Sunday morning by Nepal's Election Commission, the RSP won 122 of 165 directly elected seats and leads in three more constituencies.
Key Takeaways
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by ex-rapper Balendra Shah, has secured a landslide victory in Nepal's parliamentary election. The RSP won 122 of 165 directly elected seats and leads in three more constituencies, with about 51% of the proportional representation seats.
The party's prime ministerial candidate, Balendra Shah, previously won the 2022 Kathmandu mayoral race. He emerged as a prominent figure during the youth-led protests that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli last year.
In Nepal's electoral system, voters directly elect 165 members to the House of Representatives, with an additional 110 seats allocated through proportional representation. The RSP is also leading in about 51% of these proportional representation seats, according to Sky News.
The victory marks a significant shift in Nepali politics, as the RSP has unseated the two long-dominant parties: the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist). Local papers have described this win as a historic moment, with headlines such as 'RSP set for a landslide victory' and 'People's ballot revolt; shift in political paradigm.'
Supporters have been celebrating the win in various constituencies, offering winners flower garlands, bouquets, scarfs, and smearing them with red vermilion powder. However, party officials have asked candidates and supporters to refrain from victory rallies or other public celebrations out of respect for the dozens of lives lost during last year's protests.
The RSP's success is attributed to a wave of public anger towards traditional political parties, fueled by corruption and poor governance. The party's campaign highlighted health and education for poor Nepalis as key focuses. Balendra Shah has emphasized his refusal to take 'the easy way out' and signaled a reckoning with the 'problems and betrayals that have affected the country.'
Shah won his constituency by a significant margin, defeating former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli by 68,348 votes to 18,724. As he conceded victory, the former prime minister said he wished Shah an “uninterrupted five-year term, heartfelt best wishes.”
The RSP has pledged to create 1.2 million jobs and provide social safety nets including health insurance, according to UPI.
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