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Balendra Shah Defeats Oli as Nepal’s Upstart RSP Leads in Partial Results

Election officials say the 35-year-old Kathmandu mayor has taken Jhapa-5, with final results and the shape of the next government pending.

Overview

  • Partial official counts show the Rastriya Swatantra Party leading in many constituencies and on track for a strong presence in Nepal’s 275-seat House of Representatives.
  • The election commission has declared Balendra Shah the winner over former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli in the high-profile Jhapa-5 contest.
  • Turnout reached 59% from nearly 19 million registered voters, including about one million newly registered since last year’s unrest.
  • Voting and counting proceeded under heavy security, with police and army deployments protecting sites such as the Jhapa counting center.
  • The RSP surge points to a generational realignment after September’s Gen Z-led uprising that left at least 77 dead, and Shah could become prime minister if a majority is confirmed.