Balen Shah Crushes Four-Time PM KP Sharma Oli By Nearly 50,000 Votes In Nepal Elections
Rastriya Swatantra Party leader and rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah delivered one of Nepal’s most dramatic electoral upsets, routing former prime minister KP Sharma Oli by a margin of nearly 50,000 votes in the high-profile Jhapa-5 constituency during the country’s parliamentary elections.
According to the final election results, Shah secured 68,348 votes against Oli’s 18,734, translating into a decisive victory margin of 49,614 votes. Oli, the chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), had held the seat since the 2022 parliamentary elections, where he had defeated Nepali Congress leader Khagendra Adhikari by over 28,000 votes.
The Jhapa-5 contest had commanded nationwide attention from the moment Shah popularly known as Balen was announced as RSP’s prime ministerial candidate. His decision to challenge Oli, one of Nepal’s most powerful political figures and a four-time premier, in his own stronghold instantly made the constituency the focal point of the national political debate.
The 35-year-old former Kathmandu mayor had stepped down from his post to take on Oli directly. Shah’s entry into electoral politics came on the back of mass anti-corruption protests led by Gen Z that eventually brought down the Nepal government, positioning him as a prominent symbol of youth-driven political change.
Shah is in line to become prime minister if his Rastriya Swatantra Party secures a parliamentary majority an outcome that appeared increasingly likely based on Election Commission trends reported on Saturday.
Reacting to the election, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended congratulations to Nepal on the conduct of the polls. In a post on X, Modi wrote: “I warmly congratulate the people and Government of Nepal on the successful and peaceful conduct of elections. 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. As a close friend and neighbour, India remains steadfast in its commitment to working closely with the people of Nepal and their new Government to scale new heights of shared peace, progress and prosperity.”