Nepal’s parliamentary election results are showing a strong early performance by the newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) led by Balendra “Balen” Shah, as vote counting continues across the country.
Initial trends indicate that the RSP has won a few seats and is leading in more than 40 constituencies, putting the party ahead of many established political groups in the early stages of counting. The party’s early success is being seen as a sign of growing public support for new political alternatives in Nepal.
One of the first confirmed victories for the party came from Kathmandu-1, where RSP candidate Ranju Neupane secured a win. Meanwhile, party leader Balen Shah is contesting from Jhapa-5, where early counting showed him leading against former prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli, a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (UML).
The election is considered an important moment in Nepal’s political landscape. It is the first national vote held after major youth-led protests last year that forced political changes and increased demands for transparency, governance reforms and stronger action against corruption.
Polling for the election was held on March 5, with an estimated voter turnout of around 60 percent, reflecting strong participation by citizens across the Himalayan nation.
Nepal’s federal parliament consists of 275 seats, of which 165 members are elected directly from constituencies while 110 seats are filled through proportional representation. Final results are expected to take a few more days as ballots from remote and mountainous areas are still being counted.
Political analysts say the strong showing by the RSP reflects frustration among younger voters with traditional political parties that have dominated Nepal’s politics for decades.
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