The centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has secured a decisive victory in the parliamentary elections in Nepal, winning 182 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives (Pratinidhi Sabha), according to the Election Commission. The victory paves the way for former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah to become the next Prime Minister.
The elections, held on March 5, were conducted to elect a new 275-member House of Representatives, the lower house of Parliament. Of these seats, 165 members were elected through direct elections, while 110 were chosen through proportional representation.
In the direct polls, the RSP secured 125 of the 165 seats, and added 57 seats through proportional representation, bringing its total tally to 182 seats. The party now stands just two seats short of a two-thirds majority in the legislature.
The opposition parties suffered major setbacks. The Nepali Congress, which was the largest party in the previous parliament, won 38 seats. Meanwhile, the Marxist faction led by former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli managed to secure only 25 seats.
In a significant contest, Balendra Shah defeated veteran leader K. P. Sharma Oli in his own constituency. Oli’s Marxist-led government had been ousted following violent protests in 2025.
The election was the first since the September 2025 youth-led anti-corruption protests, which brought down the previous government. The demonstrations, largely organised under a Gen Z movement, initially began in response to a short-lived social media ban but soon expanded into wider protests against corruption and economic challenges.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party is currently led by former television personality Rabi Lamichhane, who serves as the party’s chairman.
Source: Mint
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