Balendra Shah Triumphs in Nepal Elections, Defeating KP Sharma Oli
Balendra Shah's Historic Victory
In a remarkable political upset, former Kathmandu mayor and rapper Balendra Shah has secured the Jhapa-5 seat, defeating KP Sharma Oli by a staggering margin of approximately 50,000 votes. Oli, a former Prime Minister of Nepal, saw his government ousted by Gen Z protesters in September of the previous year. According to the Nepal Election Commission, Shah garnered over 68,000 votes, while Oli received just over 17,000.
Shah's newly established Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is poised for a significant victory in Nepal's inaugural general elections following the tumultuous Gen Z protests. Current trends indicate that the RSP has won 61 seats, with Sher Bahadur Deuba's Nepali Congress trailing with only 10 seats. Other notable parties in the election include Oli's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Pushpa Kamal Dahal's CPN (Maoist Centre).
The RSP's campaign received considerable backing, positioning Shah as a strong contender for the prime ministerial role. In contrast, the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML) were part of the government that was overthrown during last year's protests. Gagan Thapa, the president of the Nepali Congress, is the prime ministerial candidate for his party, while the CPN (UML) has nominated Oli as its candidate. Despite a few minor incidents, the election process was largely peaceful.
The federal parliament consists of 275 members, with 165 elected through direct voting and the remaining 110 through a proportional representation system.
Who Is Balendra 'Balen' Shah?
Balendra Shah, viewed as a leading candidate for Nepal's top position, was elected as the mayor of Kathmandu in 2022. He later resigned from this role to run in the elections. At 35 years old, Shah has a background in structural engineering and gained recognition as a rap artist, using his music to address social and political issues. He won the mayoral election as an independent candidate, capitalizing on public discontent with traditional political parties. His efforts to eliminate illegal vendors, address the city's persistent garbage crisis, and promote road expansions earned him widespread acclaim. Shah commenced his Prime Ministerial campaign in Janakpur with the words, 'Sarvapratham, Mata Janaki ke pranaam.'