Balen Shah Defeats Former PM Oli in Parliamentary Elections
35 year old Balendra Shah defeated the former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli in Parliamentary Elections 2026. He is set to become new Prime Minister.
Abdul Raheem Qaisar
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A rapper cum politician has won a commanding majority of 125 of the 165 directly elected seats. Balen Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party is expected to get a minimum of 58 of 110 seats allocated through Proportional Representation, according to BBC News.
The election was held on 5 March, six months after the Gen Z-led protests toppled the former government of PM Oli. Balen Shah personally defeated K P Sharma Oli in his constituency, Jhapa 5, by a massive margin of 68,348 votes to Oli's 18,734. Winning a majority in the first past the post (FPTP) system gives RSP a clear path to form a government without forming coalitions, a rare occurrence in Nepal's history.
Balendra Shah has served as the Mayor of Kathmandu from May 2022 to January 2026. He was elected as a Mayer in local elections as an independent candidate that made him the first independent mayor of Kathmandu in modern times. He defeated the opponents from major political parties like the Nepali Congress and CPM-UML.
Once parliament convenes, likely soon, the majority party nominates the PM, followed by a vote of confidence and oath-taking. Selecting Shah will make him the youngest and first Prime Minister of Madheshi origin. Balan Shah is a former rapper with an educational background in civil engineering. Nominating a person who possesses such a disruptive profile reflects the new generation's point of view.
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