Receives most votes in the history of Nepal's parliamentary election
KATHMANDU, MARCH 7
Balendra (Balen) Shah, a senior Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leader, won a landslide victory in Jhapa Constituency-5, crushing the decades-long legacy of CPN-UML Chair and former four-time prime minister KP Sharma Oli.
Additionally, Shah received the most votes in the history of the House of Representatives election, earning him a seat in the Parliament. From Jhapa-5, Shah, who is also running for prime minister, easily defeated former PM Oli. Oli received 18,734 votes, while Shah garnered an eye-popping 68,348.
The entire country was tuned to this constituency, as the RSP had nominated Shah as its candidate for the future prime minister. The Returning Officer's Office reported that Shah defeated UML Chairman Oli by a margin of 49,614 votes. Oli had previously won six elections in this constituency.
For the past 30 years, Jhapa-5 was regarded as Oli's undeniable stronghold. Oli, who has been active in this constituency since 1991, had never been defeated there until 2008.
Oli had established his reputation as 'invincible' by winning elections from the said location by large margins, particularly in 2017 and 2022. However, the recent political developments following the Gen Z movement have led to a changed political landscape in Jhapa this time, which may have influenced voter sentiment and contributed to Oli's unforeseen defeat in the election.
Shah, who quit his position as head of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City to pursue national politics, now has legitimacy in his bid for prime minister following this thumping victory.
The rapper-turned-politician had emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted the Oli-led government. As a result, Jhapa-5 had captured the attention of the international media. Shah said in a brief statement to international media that he chose Jhapa-5 because it was the only legal thing he could do for Generation Z.
With Shah's victory, the RSP has emerged as a more powerful force in parliament. In addition to deciding one seat, the Jhapa-5 result officially marked the end of the 'old generation' and the beginning of the 'new generation' in Nepali politics.
From maverick maro to soon-to-be Nepal's youngest PM
Balendra (Balen) Shah is a 35-yearold structural engineer. He was only well-known among the younger generation as a rapper until four years ago, but after winning the Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayoral election, he became the talk of the town.
In the 2022 local elections, he ran as an independent for mayor of Kathmandu. While the media and political analysts initially did not take him seriously, the election results made it abundantly evident about evolving voter psychology in Nepali society.
With 61,767 votes, he had defeated seasoned politicians. As a maverick mayor, Shah was fearlessly audacious. He publicly denounced government inefficiency, rerouted waste management and demolished unlawful buildings. However, his style of governance wasn't the only thing that made him famous. It was his character, his social media presence and his direct challenge to authority that people liked the most.
Shah was born in Gaurigaun, Kathmandu, to Dhruvdevi Shah and Dr Ram Narayan Shah, an Ayurvedic physician. After resigning as mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City on January 18, the 35-year-old joined Rabi Lamichhane's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).
Shah joined the RSP after agreeing to become the parliamentary party's leader and prime ministerial candidate, with Lamichhane serving as president.
His first public appearance as RSP senior leader came the next day, January 19, in Janakpurdham, the capital of Madhes Province, where the party launched its election campaign. Tens of thousands of spectators and supporters-including from surrounding districts- gathered for the rally.
In a poignant speech, Shah said that he had not been able to do much as mayor of Kathmandu and that he now wanted to change the public's perception by becoming prime minister, emphasising his commitment to addressing key issues-such as good governance, transparency, infrastructure, education and healthcare- that he believes are crucial for the country's development.
