Summary
Balendra Shah's party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), won a majority in Nepal's general election. The election was held on March 5, and RSP's victory is the first time in decades a single party achieved such success in Nepal. Shah, a former Kathmandu mayor, may become the youngest prime minister in Nepal's history if confirmed.
Key Facts
- Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won 182 out of 275 seats in Nepal's parliament.
- The Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal UML followed with 38 and 25 seats, respectively.
- The election was a snap election held after the government was toppled in September 2025 following youth protests.
- The election results were announced in seven days, faster than the previous election in 2022, which took nearly two weeks.
- Nepal's challenging terrain makes organizing elections difficult, with ballot boxes sometimes needing to be airlifted.
- Nearly 19 million people registered to vote, with around 60% participation.
- The election uses a mixed voting system: first-past-the-post for 165 seats and proportional representation for 110 seats.
- Balendra Shah is the prime ministerial candidate for the RSP and defeated former Prime Minister Sharma KP Oli in his constituency.
