Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, achieved a stunning landslide victory in the March 2026 general elections, securing 124 seats and poised to form the next government.
Gen Z Revolution Shatters Old Guard
RSP dominated 110+ of 165 FPTP seats with 60% voter turnout fueled by youth anger over corruption, unemployment, and 2025 protests that killed 77 and toppled PM KP Sharma Oli’s coalition. Nepali Congress managed 17 seats, CPN-UML 10, signaling RSP’s Kathmandu Valley sweep including Chitwan-2 (Ravi Lamichhane’s 54k-vote win).
Post-Protest Mandate for Change
Elections—Nepal’s first since Gen Z uprising banned 26 social media platforms—saw RSP’s anti-establishment surge from 2022 formation, crushing UML’s Oli in Jhapa-5 and Prachanda’s hold. Remaining 110 PR seats await allocation; 67 parties contested amid robust security.
Implications for Fragile Democracy
RSP’s triumph ends decades of Congress-UML-CP dominance, promising governance overhaul but raising coalition stability questions in 275-seat parliament. Election Commission hailed smooth polls with Gen Z’s “unprecedented” energy.
