Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is all set to form next government in Nepal after securing landslide victory in parliamentary elections and decimating the established parties. 

 

Popularly known as Balen, 35-year-old prime ministerial candidate of RSP, defeated four-time prime minister KP Sharma Oli of CPN-UML, by a huge margin of about 50 thousand votes in Jhapa-5 constituency. 

 

The RSP has won 77 seats out of the 97 seats for which results were declared by 9:30 pm last night. RSP’s seats include a clean sweep in all 10 constituencies of the Kathmandu district even as it is leading in 48 seats across the country.

 

Nepali Congress (NC) won 11 and is leading in seven seats; CPN-(UML) won just five seats and is leading in seven: Nepali Communist Party (NCP) won two seats and is leading in five, Shrama Shakti Party (SSP) is leading in three seats, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) won one seat. 

 

Nepal witnessed about 60 per cent voter turnout during the March 5 elections to the House of Representatives. 

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the people and government of Nepal for the successful conduct of elections. 

 

In a social media post, Mr Modi said, it is heartening to see my Nepali sisters and brothers exercise their democratic rights so vibrantly. 

 

This historic milestone is a proud moment in Nepal’s democratic journey,” Mr Modi said. 

 

PM Modi also said that as a close friend and neighbour, India remains steadfast in its commitment to working closely with the people of Nepal and its new government to scale new heights of shared peace, progress and prosperity.