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Nepal Celebrates as Balen's Party Claims Landslide Election Victory

Celebrations erupted across Nepal as the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, claimed a decisive two-thirds majority in parliamentary elections. The party's vice president stated they expect to win 186 seats, far ahead of rivals like the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. The election was held following last year's political unrest and is viewed as a potential new dawn for the country. Balendra Shah, a former rapper, is now poised to become the next Prime Minister of Nepal.

Key Points: Balen's Party Claims Two-Thirds Majority in Nepal Election

  • RSP claims two-thirds majority
  • Balendra Shah poised to be next PM
  • Election held after Gen-Z unrest
  • Anti-corruption is main party agenda
  • Final results expected next week
3 min read

Celebration across Nepal as Balen's party claims "two-thirds majority" in parliamentary polls

Former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah's RSP party claims a landslide win in Nepal's parliamentary polls, poised to form a new government.

"One hundred and eighty-six. Yes, in total we are expecting one hundred and eighty-six seats. - Dol Prasad Aryal"

Kathmandu, March 6

Hundreds of supporters took to the streets across Nepal, singing, dancing, and celebrating as former Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Balendra Shah's party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, claimed an absolute two-thirds majority in the parliamentary election in the country's House of Representatives as counting continues.

Supporters danced to songs praising the soon-to-be Prime Minister, Balendra Shah, popularly known as "Balen", at counting centres, ringing the bells--the election symbol of the party.

Speaking to ANI, Dol Prasad Aryal, vice president of RSP, stated that the party expects a two-thirds majority in the upcoming parliament.

"One hundred and eighty-six. Yes, in total we are expecting one hundred and eighty-six seats," Aryal said as he exited a counting centre on the outskirts of Kathmandu on Friday afternoon.

Balendra Shah, a former rapper and mayor, is poised to become the next Prime Minister of the Himalayan Nation, after a clean sweep in the election, held in the wake of last year's September Gen-Z unrest, which toppled the government led by the PM KP Sharma Oli.

The two-day protest saw the deaths of at least 77 protestors after police opened fire on demonstrators, who were mainly college students and members of the public.

Thursday's election, held after a six-month gap, recorded a preliminary voter turnout of about 60 per cent. Observers view the outcome as a potential new dawn for Nepal.

"Maybe I think every foreign country is talking about Nepal's corruption. They're discussing; they're talking about Nepal's corruption, corruption, corruption. When we started our party, the RSP felt that we needed to work to reduce corruption almost to zero--that's our main agenda. Everyone needs to feel that we have a government for them, and they need to feel it from the heart. As we plan to provide development, delivery is the major agenda for now in this country, and we hope we will succeed," the RSP Vice President added.

With vote counts still underway for the 165 seats contested under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system, the RSP is currently leading in over 100 seats with three confirmed victories as of 7:30 PM local time. Rival, Nepali Congress, is far behind, leading in only 12 seats with two victories, while the CPN-UML, led by the deposed PM Oli, has yet to record any victories but is leading in 11 seats.

KP Sharma Oli himself is trailing behind Balendra Shah, who currently leads by over 13,000 votes, while Oli trails with a margin of just over 3,000 votes.

Final results, covering 165 directly elected seats and 110 through proportional representation, are expected within the next week.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting to see such a dramatic political shift. The focus on anti-corruption is universal. I hope this new government can deliver on its promises for Nepal's development. The high voter turnout shows people's faith in democracy.
P
Priya S
Wishing all the best to Nepal! A stable and prosperous Nepal is good for the entire region. The Gen-Z protests last year were heartbreaking. Hopefully, this new leadership heals those wounds and works for the people. Jai Nepal!
V
Vikram M
While the enthusiasm is great, a two-thirds majority for a relatively new party is a huge responsibility. Hope they have a solid team and plan beyond just anti-corruption rhetoric. Delivery is key, as they said. Let's see if they can walk the talk.
R
Rohit P
Amazing! Beating KP Sharma Oli by such a margin shows the public's anger against the old guard. This is a lesson for all politicians in South Asia - you can't take voters for granted. Youth power is real! 🎉
M
Michael C
As an observer, the scale of this victory is historic. To go from zero to a potential two-thirds majority in one election cycle is almost unprecedented. The region will be watching closely to see how this translates into governance.
K
Kavya N

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