Former-Rapper's Party Set to Win Nepal Elections Months After Gen Z-Led Protests

Telegraph

Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah.

A three-year-old party led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah appeared set to sweep Nepal’s general election on Friday.

The 35-year-old leader and his Rastriya Swatantra Party were on course to secure a majority in the 275-member lower house of parliament, leading in 100 of the first 137 declared seats, according to the Election Commission of Nepal.

By 1200 GMT, vote counting was under way for the 165 seats decided through direct voting in the lower house, while the remaining seats will be allocated through proportional representation.

Shah, the former mayor of Kathmandu, has dominated the race to become prime minister after gaining near rock-star-level popularity on social media across the Himalayan nation following a youth-led uprising.

Political instability has long troubled the country of around 30 million people, weakening its largely agrarian economy amid persistent unemployment and corruption.

Public anger erupted into street protests last September after a social media ban brought thousands onto the streets, sparking clashes that eventually led to the resignation of former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli.

If Shah takes power, it would mark a dramatic rise for a figure who first gained prominence through rap music critical of the political establishment and is now seeking the country’s highest political office.

Early trends showed Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal leading in 10 seats, while he appeared to be losing in his own constituency to Shah.

The Nepali Congress, the country’s oldest political party, was leading in 10 seats and had won just one so far. Party vice-president Bishwa Prakash Sharma said in a post on X that the party accepted the voters’ verdict.

Election officials said final results were expected later on Friday or by Saturday morning.

Source: Reuters



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