Nepal's early vote count puts ex-rapper's party ahead

KATHMANDU, March 6 (Reuters) - Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah’s party gained leads in early counting in Nepal’s general election, far outpacing his other rivals, including the country’s former ​prime minister who was forced to resign after a historic ‌youth-led uprising last year.

Shah, 35, former mayor of the capital city of Kathmandu, has dominated the race to become Nepal’s PM during the campaign, gaining popularity across the ​country.

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Shah’s centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party, which was founded three years ​ago, was leading in 37 seats while former Prime Minister ⁠K P Sharma Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist - UML) was ​leading in three, early counting trends from the election commission showed on ​Friday morning.

The centrist Nepali Congress led by 49-year-old Gagan Thapa, the country’s oldest party, was leading in five seats.

Item 1 of 3 Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician and the prime ministerial candidate for Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), heads to cast his vote during the general election in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 5, 2026. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar

**[1/3]**Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician and the prime ministerial candidate for Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), heads to cast his vote during the general election in Kathmandu, Nepal, March 5, 2026. REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

Results are likely to be clear by Friday evening or ​Saturday, officials said.

Out of a total 275 seats in Nepal’s lower ​house of parliament, counting was in progress for 165 seats that are elected ‌by ⁠direct election, while the remaining 110 will follow a system of proportional representation.

Shah drew large crowds during his election campaign, connecting with legions of young voters clamouring for change on the ground and online, even ​as he took ​on Oli, 74, ⁠on his home turf in the Jhapa 5 constituency along the Indian border.

Perched between China and India, ​the country of 30 million people has been plagued ​for ⁠decades by political instability, rippling a largely agrarian economy and worsening unemployment - structural issues compounded by rampant corruption.

The long-festering malaise erupted into street demonstrations last ⁠September, ​triggered by a social media ban, that ​brought thousands on the streets, leading to clashes and fatalities that forced the resignation of ​Oli.

Reporting Gopal Sharma, writing by by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan

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