Nepal’s early vote count puts ex-rapper’s party ahead

Nepal’s early vote count puts ex-rapper’s party ahead

Young voters in Nepal have overwhelmingly supported Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old former mayor of Kathmandu, whose centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party is surging in early election results. The party appears to be leading in 37 parliamentary seats, significantly outperforming its competitors, including the country’s former prime minister, K P Sharma Oli, whose Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist – UML) holds three seats. Shah’s campaign has connected with a broad audience, particularly resonating with grassroots movements demanding reform, even as he challenged Oli in the Jhapa 5 constituency near the Indian border.

According to the election commission, the outcome of Nepal’s general election may become clearer by late Friday or early Saturday. The lower house of parliament consists of 275 seats, with 165 decided through direct elections and the remaining 110 allocated via proportional representation. The current lead of Shah’s party contrasts sharply with the Nepali Congress, which is holding five seats under its 49-year-old leader, Gagan Thapa, the nation’s oldest political party.

Political instability has long plagued Nepal, with its 30-million-population country struggling to stabilize its largely agrarian economy and address rising unemployment. These challenges are exacerbated by systemic corruption, which has fueled public frustration for years. The tension culminated in September’s widespread protests, sparked by a social media ban that ignited street demonstrations. Clashes and fatalities during the unrest led to the resignation of former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, 74, marking a pivotal shift in the nation’s political landscape.

Shah’s dominance in the race to become Nepal’s next prime minister reflects his appeal to younger generations seeking change. His efforts to engage voters both online and offline have positioned him as a key figure in the election. While the final results remain pending, the early trends suggest a significant transformation in Nepal’s leadership, with Shah’s party at the forefront of this shift.