Gen Z’s Favourite Balendra Shah Leads Ex-PM KP Sharma Oli As Nepal Counts Votes

Kathmandu, March 6: Nepal is counting votes for the country’s first general elections, the first since deadly Gen Z protests toppled the prime minister KP Sharma Oli-led government last year. According to the latest trends, rapper-turned-politician and former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah is currently leading Oli, 74, on his home turf in the Jhapa constituency.

Shah, 35, drew large crowds, mostly young voters, in pre-poll rallies. Known as Balen, he joined the RSP, led by a former TV host-turned politician, Rabi Lamichhane, last December.

He was an undeclared leader of the youngsters who led the protests against widespread corruption in September last year. He also helped form the interim government of former Chief Justice Sushila Karki to oversee the vote.

Balendra Shah’s party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), is ahead in more than 20 seats.

KP Sharma Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML) and Gagan Thapa’s Nepali Congress, the two old guards, are ahead in three seats each.

Three-time prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, who heads the Nepali Communist Party, is leading from Rukum East.
About 60 per cent of the country’s 19 million eligible voters had cast their votes during the elections to the House of Representatives on Thursday.

More than 3,400 candidates from 65 parties are in the fray in

As a close neighbour, India is closely watching the election results in Nepal.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal recently said that India has “consistently supported peace, progress and stability in Nepal”.

“We look forward to working with the new government of Nepal to further build on the robust multifaceted ties between our two countries and peoples for mutual benefit,” he said.

India had also provided logistical supplies for Nepal’s elections.