A former rapper, a leading figure for Generation Z, sweeps Nepal's first post-uprising elections

BarcelonaThe ban on social media was the trigger fora revolt in Nepal, led by Generation Z, which ended with the government's resignation. A year later, the same youthful energy that brought down the old guard has given rapper Balendra 'Balen' Shah an overwhelming victory in this week's parliamentary elections. These elections were a commitment made by the interim government following the prime minister's resignation in 2025.

Shah's Rastriya Swatantra (RSP) party has secured a sufficient majority to form a government, according to official data from the Election Commission. Based on the tally released on Sunday, the emerging party has already secured 106 of the 165 directly elected seats and is leading in another 19. Furthermore, it has garnered more than 50% of the votes in the proportional representation bloc, which is necessary for an absolute majority in parliament.

In Nepal, there are two electoral systems that are combined in this vote: direct election and proportional representation. In the first, voters choose the candidate for their district in a model first-past-the-postIn the second, the percentage of votes is reflected in the parliamentary seats. The count will conclude in the coming days, but projections indicate that Balen Shah's newly formed party could win up to 190 seats, or two-thirds of the chamber, an unprecedented feat since the 1950s.

The results represent a rupture in Nepal, affecting the Communist Party and the Maoist Pushpa Kamal Dahal. Now, for the first time, all three are overshadowed by an anti-establishment force that emerged from a youth movement against corruption. The Communist Party, the oldest party in the country, has only managed to secure 15 direct representatives. Even more noteworthy is the setback for former Prime Minister and Communist Party leader KP Sharma Oli, who lost his direct seat to Shah himself. Of the old guard, only the former Maoist leader and former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, nicknamed Prachanda, appears likely to retain his seat.

Health and education at the center

Shah trained as a civil engineer before rising to prominence as one of Nepal's most idolized rappers, releasing music against corruption and inequality that later became an anthem for the September protests. At just 35 years old and a former mayor of Kathmandu, he has managed to capitalize on the wave of indignation toward traditional political parties. The cornerstones of his campaign were health and education for the poorest citizens, and he opposed "taking the easy way out." On the contrary, he says, he is committed to confronting the root causes of "the problems and betrayals that have plagued the country."

"Nepal is experiencing a wave of change to move away from the control of the old parties. The real question is whether the new leaders will be able to understand this wave and sustain it," constitutional expert Bipin Adhikari told EFE.