Balendra Shah and the newly strengthened Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), headed by Rabi Lamichhane, have achieved a remarkable victory in Nepal’s elections securing the two-thirds majority to form a government. RSP’s blue party flags and election symbol ‘bells’ are flying and ringing across the Himalayan country, echoing the voice of young voters demanding an end to corruption and calling for change. However in remembrance of the people that had died during the previous year’s Gen Z protests, Shah has requested to not hold any victory rallies.
Congratulations are pouring in. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s warm telephonic conversations with Shah and Lamichhane made headlines in Kathmandu and New Delhi. Modi stated that he looked forward to working together on mutual prosperity. Lamichhane reverted by thanking Modi and expressing eagerness to work together.
As it became clear that RSP would form Nepal’s next government, speculation spread in the media about how the new faces, especially the incoming PM, will perform. While Nepal faces many internal challenges, its geopolitics is among the most closely watched issues. Sandwiched between India and China, Nepal occupies a sensitive strategic position for these neighbours and the West. For Nepal, the challenge has long been maintaining balanced relations with both as its day-to-day functioning depends on them. Its landlocked status further weakens its bargaining power. Past governments have often lacked clear foreign policy or negotiation strength with either country. The geopolitical stance of a Balen-led RSP government, particularly toward India and China, is therefore under close scrutiny.
Thirty-six-year-old Shah—popularly known as Balen—is a structural engineer-turned-rapper and the former mayor of Kathmandu. He resigned as mayor in January and joined the RSP as its prime ministerial candidate. In a dramatic move, he challenged former four-time PM K P Sharma Oli in Jhapa-5—Oli’s long-held constituency, which he had won six times—framing the contest as a choice between integrity and corruption allegations that had plagued the Oli government before its collapse on September 9, 2025.
The result was decisive. Balen defeated Oli by nearly 50,000 votes, positioning himself to become not only Nepal’s youngest PM but also the first from the Madhesh Province bordering India. Most of the 125 first-past-the-post-elected parliamentarians who won by large margins—including Lamichhane—are likewise young, educated and known for honest work.
These elections come exactly six months after the Gen Z protests—events that fundamentally altered Nepal’s political landscape. Tragically, the protests turned violent after police opened fire on demonstrators outside the Parliament building. Among those killed were students in school uniforms. Nineteen young protesters died on September 8, while the final toll reached 77. Public outrage quickly intensified, forcing Oli to resign and flee.
Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was appointed as Nepal’s interim prime minister by President Ram Chandra Poudel at the request of the Gen Z protestors. Balendra Shah, initially the first choice, declined the offer and supported Karki’s appointment. She was tasked with forming a caretaker government, conducting fresh elections and ensuring justice for those killed during the protests.
On the day she took oath, Karki announced that parliamentary elections would be held on March 5, 2026. Despite facing intense political pressure, Karki remained firm in her commitment to hold fair and legal elections.
She has now emerged as a statesperson who placed national stability above personal or political interests. The elections were ultimately conducted peacefully, raising hopes that Nepal may finally see a stable full-term government—something the country has struggled to achieve since the restoration of democracy in 1990.
The RSP’s rise itself has been rapid. The party first emerged during the 2022 general elections when Lamichhane—then a popular television anchor—entered politics. Inspired partly by Balen’s victory as an independent candidate in the 2022 Kathmandu mayoral election, candidates across Nepal contested for the parliamentary elections independently.
Lamichhane later brought many of these voices together into the RSP. Lamichhane served briefly as home minister and later as deputy PM, gaining prominence for reopening corruption cases involving influential political figures. However, he faced cooperative fraud charges and citizenship accusations for which he was briefly removed from Parliament. After legal contestation and proving the validity of his citizenship, he won his seat again with a large majority.
Balen and Lamichhane’s popularity is undeniable, particularly among Nepal’s younger generation. If their leadership succeeds in translating public expectations into effective governance, Nepal may finally enter a new political era of stability and prosperity. Their biggest challenge is to fulfil the Gen Z protestor’s demand for actions against the perpetrators of the killings and vandalism. A commission report on the incident was submitted to Karki on March 9. For a country long frustrated by instability, corruption and unfulfilled promises, this election could mark the beginning of a different political trajectory.
Namrata Sharma | President, Centre for Investigative Journalism, Nepal, and Editor of Nariswor
(Views are personal)
(Tweets @NamrataSharmaP)