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7h ago

Nepal’s New Parliament Sworn In as RSP Taps Balen Shah to Lead Government

A landslide for a four-year-old party signals a break with Nepal’s establishment.

Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party addresses his supporters during a campaign rally in Chitwan, west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP photo by Niranjan Shrestha)
A Rastriya Swatantra Party supporter photographs a friend in front of a large banner depicting party leader Balendra Shah during an election rally in Chitwan, approximately 180 kilometers (112 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, Prime ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party greets his supporters during an election campaign rally in Chitwan, about 112 miles (180 kilometers) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Rabi Lamichhane (R), seen here during a election campaigning in Kathmandu in February, agreed that Balendra Shah (L) would be the RSP party's prime-ministerial candidate

Overview

  • RSP lawmakers elected Balendra “Balen” Shah as their leader after the new lower house took oaths, clearing the way for his appointment as prime minister.
  • The Rastriya Swatantra Party holds 182 of 275 seats, enough to form a single‑party government under Article 76(1) of Nepal’s constitution.
  • The president has been formally notified and is expected to appoint Shah, who is scheduled to take the oath of office next.
  • Analysts say the big majority could speed new laws, though limited state capacity and high public demands on corruption, jobs, and services will test the new government.
  • Shah, 35, is a former Kathmandu mayor and rap artist whose rise followed last year’s youth‑led revolt, and he defeated ex‑prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli in his longtime stronghold.