Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah poised to be Nepal's next prime minister
Mar 10th 2026
Balendra Shah and his Rastriya Swatantra Party are on course for a decisive parliamentary victory after Gen Z-led protests toppled the previous government, with final results due later this week.
- Balendra Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party has won 125 of 165 directly elected seats in the 275-member House of Representatives, with one seat still undecided.
- The House also includes 110 seats allocated by proportional representation and final results are expected later this week.
- Shah, a former rapper and key figure in the Gen Z protests, defeated four-time prime minister KP Sharma Oli in his constituency.
- The RSP, founded four years ago, displaced long-dominant parties after mass protests last year that toppled Oli's government and left at least 51 people dead.
- India's prime minister Narendra Modi called to congratulate RSP leaders, indicating New Delhi seeks continued close ties with Kathmandu.