PM Modi Congratulates Nepal Citizens After Successful General Elections

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 8 congratulated the people of Nepal for the successful conduct of the country’s general elections held on March 5, praising citizens for actively participating in the democratic process.

In a social media Post, PM Modi highlighted Delhi’s commitment to work in close coordination with the people and the newly formed government in the neighbouring country.

"As a close friend and neighbour, India remains steadfast in its commitment to working closely with the people of Nepal and their new government to scale new heights of shared peace, progress and prosperity”, PM Modi added.

Meanwhile, a major political shift appears to be underway in Nepal as rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah led the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to a sweeping performance in the parliamentary polls.

According to early results and projections, the RSP has secured more than 120 seats in the 275-member Parliament, positioning the party to form the next government. Of the total seats, 165 members are elected through direct voting, while the remaining 110 are allocated through a proportional representation system among participating political parties.

Balendra Shah, who previously served as mayor of Kathmandu, also delivered one of the election’s most significant victories by defeating veteran leader KP Sharma Oli in the Jhapa-5 constituency in eastern Nepal. The contest drew national attention as Oli, leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), had served four terms as Nepal’s prime minister.

Shah reportedly defeated Oli by a margin of nearly 50,000 votes, a result that strengthens his position as the frontrunner to become the next prime minister of Nepal. If confirmed, he would lead the first single-party government in nearly a decade.

Oli’s political fortunes had already been shaken last year when he was ousted from power during a massive anti-corruption uprising that swept across the country in September.

Sources from the Election Commission of Nepal said that RSP chairman Ravi Lamichhane, who founded the party in 2022, also won his electoral contest.

The results also showed a dramatic decline for traditional political forces. The Nepali Congress, Nepal’s oldest political party, managed to secure only 17 seats in the election. Meanwhile, candidates from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) won seven constituencies and were leading in three others at the time of reporting.

The Nepal Communist Party (NCP) secured seven seats. Former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, widely known as Prachanda and a key figure during Nepal’s anti-monarchy movement between 1996 and 2006, won his constituency under the NCP banner.

However, Gagan Thapa, president of the Nepali Congress, suffered a defeat in his electoral battle.

Among smaller parties, the Shram Sanskriti Party (SSP) won three seats, while the pro-monarchist Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) managed to secure just one seat.

Election officials said that more than 60 per cent of Nepal’s approximately 19 million registered voters cast their ballots in the polls. The single-phase election was conducted under the supervision of the interim government led by retired judge Sushila Karki and was largely peaceful.

As the RSP sets out to form the next government, Balendra emerges as the frontrunner to lead a single-party government in a decade. Moreover, he will be the youngest head of  Nepal government and the first one from Madhesh province, located in the southeastern region, bordering India's Uttar Pradesh and Bihar States, which is believed to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita (of the great epic Ramayana), then it was known as Janakpur.

Also Read: Who Is Balen Shah? The Rapper-Turned-Politician Who Could Be Nepal’s Next PM