\n<\/p>\n
Balendra Shah\u2019s party represents a reformist wave reshaping Himalayan nation\u2019s politics.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\nListen to this article<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>3 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 8 Mar 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">8 Mar 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>share2<\/title><path fill=\"#000\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" d=\"M11.688 9.048c-.659 0-1.252.282-1.673.733l-4.92-2.45c.016-.115.028-.232.028-.352 0-.117-.011-.23-.027-.343l4.913-2.423a2.285 2.285 0 0 0 1.68.739C12.964 4.952 14 3.899 14 2.6 14 1.302 12.965.25 11.688.25S9.377 1.302 9.377 2.601c0 .117.01.23.027.343L4.49 5.367a2.285 2.285 0 0 0-1.68-.739C1.536 4.628.5 5.681.5 6.979c0 1.299 1.035 2.35 2.312 2.35.659 0 1.252-.281 1.673-.731l4.92 2.45a2.357 2.357 0 0 0-.029.351c0 1.299 1.035 2.351 2.312 2.351S14 12.698 14 11.399s-1.035-2.35-2.312-2.35Z\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"rich-share__social-text\">Share<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"google-preferred-source\"><button class=\"google-preferred-source__button\" aria-label=\"Add Al Jazeera on Google\" data-testid=\"google-preferred-source-button\"><svg class=\"icon icon--plus2 icon--primary icon--12 google-preferred-source__add-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>plus2<\/title><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M10.571 13.429H3.43c-.405 0-.744-.137-1.018-.411A1.382 1.382 0 0 1 2 12c0-.405.137-.744.41-1.018.275-.274.614-.41 1.019-.41h7.142V3.428c0-.405.137-.744.411-1.018C11.256 2.137 11.595 2 12 2s.744.137 1.018.41c.274.275.41.614.41 1.019v7.142h7.143c.405 0 .744.137 1.018.411.274.274.411.613.411 1.018s-.137.744-.41 1.018c-.274.274-.614.41-1.019.41H13.43v7.143c0 .405-.137.744-.411 1.018-.274.274-.613.411-1.018.411s-.744-.137-1.018-.41a1.382 1.382 0 0 1-.41-1.019V13.43Z\"\/><\/svg><svg class=\"icon icon--google icon--primary icon--16 google-preferred-source__google-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 17 16\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>google<\/title><g fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-path=\"url(#a)\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\"><path fill=\"#4285F4\" d=\"M16.18 8.181c0-.567-.051-1.112-.145-1.636H8.5v3.094h4.305a3.68 3.68 0 0 1-1.596 2.415v2.007h2.585c1.513-1.393 2.386-3.443 2.386-5.88Z\"\/><path fill=\"#34A853\" d=\"M8.5 16c2.16 0 3.971-.717 5.295-1.939l-2.586-2.007c-.716.48-1.633.764-2.709.764-2.083 0-3.847-1.407-4.476-3.298H1.35v2.072A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 8.501 16Z\"\/><path fill=\"#FBBC05\" d=\"M4.024 9.519c-.16-.48-.251-.993-.251-1.52s.09-1.04.25-1.52V4.406H1.352A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 .5 8c0 1.29.31 2.513.85 3.593l2.674-2.073Z\"\/><path fill=\"#EA4335\" d=\"M8.5 3.182c1.175 0 2.23.403 3.058 1.196l2.295-2.294C12.467.793 10.656 0 8.5 0a7.997 7.997 0 0 0-7.149 4.407L4.024 6.48C4.653 4.59 6.417 3.182 8.5 3.182Z\"\/><\/g><defs><clippath id=\"a\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M.5 0h16v16H.5z\"\/><\/clippath><\/defs><\/svg><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--primary icon--16 google-preferred-source__info-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Preliminary and partial results released show a new political party led by an ex-rapper is in front in Nepal\u2019s parliamentary election, the country\u2019s first since last year\u2019s\u00a0youth-led revolt.<\/p>\n<p>The Rastriya Swatantra (RSP) already won 60 of 165 directly elected seats and is leading in 61 other constituencies in the results published by Nepal\u2019s Election Commission on Saturday.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 2 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Its prime ministerial candidate is rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, 35, who won the 2022 Kathmandu mayoral race and emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.<\/p>\n<p>He highlighted health and education for poor Nepalis as a key focus of his campaign, which rode a wave of public anger towards traditional political parties.<\/p>\n<p>Shah, running directly against Oli in a southeastern district, won the seat with a wide margin, securing almost four times as many votes as the former prime minister.<\/p>\n<p>He said the vote reflected his refusal to take \u201cthe easy way out\u201d and signalled a reckoning with the \u201cproblems and betrayals that have affected the country\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Oil congratulated Shah in a post on X, wishing him a \u201csmooth and successful\u201d term.<\/p>\n<p>[Translation: <em>Balenu Babu, Congratulations to you for the victory! May your five-year tenure be smooth and successful\u2014heartfelt best wishes!<\/em>]<\/p>\n<p>Shah, widely known simply as \u201cBalen\u201d, trained as a civil engineer before breaking through as one of Nepal\u2019s most prominent rappers, releasing conscious music targeting corruption and inequality that later became anthems of the September protests.<\/p>\n<p>His 2022 election as Kathmandu\u2019s first independent mayor was also a major upset for the political establishment at the time. The RSP, his party, founded the same year, was built on a similar anti-establishment platform.<\/p>\n<p>Its campaign before Thursday\u2019s vote was highly organised, with a more-than-660-person social media operation and significant funding from the Nepali diaspora, particularly in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe nation was fed up with the old corrupt leaders,\u201d said Birendra Kumar Mehta, a member of RSP\u2019s central committee.<\/p>\n<p>The September protests, initially triggered by a government ban on social media platforms, rapidly escalated into a mass movement against corruption and economic stagnation. At least 77 people were killed.<\/p>\n<p>Shah emerged as a figurehead of the protests, and his song <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lCJRnlXy6SM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nepal Haseko<\/a>, Nepal Smiling, accumulated more than 10 million YouTube views during the unrest.\u00a0His victory reflects a growing generational divide in the country.<\/p>\n<p>More than 40 percent of Nepal\u2019s nearly 30 million people are under 35, yet the leadership of its established parties has remained in its 70s.<\/p>\n<p>Nepalese journalist Pranaya Rana described Shah to Al Jazeera as embodying \u201cthe outsider spirit that many young Nepalis are looking for to shake up the status quo\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Balendra Shah\u2019s party represents a reformist wave reshaping Himalayan nation\u2019s politics. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a03 mins info Published On 8 Mar 20268 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Preliminary and partial results released show a new political party led by an ex-rapper is in front […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Listen to this article<\/span>\u00a0|\u00a0<\/span>3 mins<\/span><\/p>\n<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 8 Mar 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">8 Mar 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg 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2.415v2.007h2.585c1.513-1.393 2.386-3.443 2.386-5.88Z\"\/><path fill=\"#34A853\" d=\"M8.5 16c2.16 0 3.971-.717 5.295-1.939l-2.586-2.007c-.716.48-1.633.764-2.709.764-2.083 0-3.847-1.407-4.476-3.298H1.35v2.072A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 8.501 16Z\"\/><path fill=\"#FBBC05\" d=\"M4.024 9.519c-.16-.48-.251-.993-.251-1.52s.09-1.04.25-1.52V4.406H1.352A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 .5 8c0 1.29.31 2.513.85 3.593l2.674-2.073Z\"\/><path fill=\"#EA4335\" d=\"M8.5 3.182c1.175 0 2.23.403 3.058 1.196l2.295-2.294C12.467.793 10.656 0 8.5 0a7.997 7.997 0 0 0-7.149 4.407L4.024 6.48C4.653 4.59 6.417 3.182 8.5 3.182Z\"\/><\/g><defs><clippath id=\"a\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M.5 0h16v16H.5z\"\/><\/clippath><\/defs><\/svg><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--primary icon--16 google-preferred-source__info-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Preliminary and partial results released show a new political party led by an ex-rapper is in front in Nepal\u2019s parliamentary election, the country\u2019s first since last year\u2019s\u00a0youth-led revolt.<\/p>\n<p>The Rastriya Swatantra (RSP) already won 60 of 165 directly elected seats and is leading in 61 other constituencies in the results published by Nepal\u2019s Election Commission on Saturday.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 2 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Its prime ministerial candidate is rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, 35, who won the 2022 Kathmandu mayoral race and emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.<\/p>\n<p>He highlighted health and education for poor Nepalis as a key focus of his campaign, which rode a wave of public anger towards traditional political parties.<\/p>\n<p>Shah, running directly against Oli in a southeastern district, won the seat with a wide margin, securing almost four times as many votes as the former prime minister.<\/p>\n<p>He said the vote reflected his refusal to take \u201cthe easy way out\u201d and signalled a reckoning with the \u201cproblems and betrayals that have affected the country\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Oil congratulated Shah in a post on X, wishing him a \u201csmooth and successful\u201d term.<\/p>\n<p>[Translation: <em>Balenu Babu, Congratulations to you for the victory! May your five-year tenure be smooth and successful\u2014heartfelt best wishes!<\/em>]<\/p>\n<p>Shah, widely known simply as \u201cBalen\u201d, trained as a civil engineer before breaking through as one of Nepal\u2019s most prominent rappers, releasing conscious music targeting corruption and inequality that later became anthems of the September protests.<\/p>\n<p>His 2022 election as Kathmandu\u2019s first independent mayor was also a major upset for the political establishment at the time. The RSP, his party, founded the same year, was built on a similar anti-establishment platform.<\/p>\n<p>Its campaign before Thursday\u2019s vote was highly organised, with a more-than-660-person social media operation and significant funding from the Nepali diaspora, particularly in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe nation was fed up with the old corrupt leaders,\u201d said Birendra Kumar Mehta, a member of RSP\u2019s central committee.<\/p>\n<p>The September protests, initially triggered by a government ban on social media platforms, rapidly escalated into a mass movement against corruption and economic stagnation. At least 77 people were killed.<\/p>\n<p>Shah emerged as a figurehead of the protests, and his song <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lCJRnlXy6SM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nepal Haseko<\/a>, Nepal Smiling, accumulated more than 10 million YouTube views during the unrest.\u00a0His victory reflects a growing generational divide in the country.<\/p>\n<p>More than 40 percent of Nepal\u2019s nearly 30 million people are under 35, yet the leadership of its established parties has remained in its 70s.<\/p>\n<p>Nepalese journalist Pranaya Rana described Shah to Al Jazeera as embodying \u201cthe outsider spirit that many young Nepalis are looking for to shake up the status quo\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Balendra Shah\u2019s party represents a reformist wave reshaping Himalayan nation\u2019s politics. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a03 mins info Published On 8 Mar 20268 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Preliminary and partial results released show a new political party led by an ex-rapper is in front […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
<\/button>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-dates\">\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Published On 8 Mar 2026<\/span><span aria-hidden=\"true\">8 Mar 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"rich-share\" data-testid=\"rich-share\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"rich-share__button-wrapper\"><button class=\"rich-share__button row\" aria-expanded=\"false\"><\/p>\n<p>Click here to share on social media<\/p>\n<p><svg class=\"icon icon--share2 icon--primary icon--16 \" viewbox=\"0 0 20 16\" 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d=\"M8.5 16c2.16 0 3.971-.717 5.295-1.939l-2.586-2.007c-.716.48-1.633.764-2.709.764-2.083 0-3.847-1.407-4.476-3.298H1.35v2.072A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 8.501 16Z\"\/><path fill=\"#FBBC05\" d=\"M4.024 9.519c-.16-.48-.251-.993-.251-1.52s.09-1.04.25-1.52V4.406H1.352A7.997 7.997 0 0 0 .5 8c0 1.29.31 2.513.85 3.593l2.674-2.073Z\"\/><path fill=\"#EA4335\" d=\"M8.5 3.182c1.175 0 2.23.403 3.058 1.196l2.295-2.294C12.467.793 10.656 0 8.5 0a7.997 7.997 0 0 0-7.149 4.407L4.024 6.48C4.653 4.59 6.417 3.182 8.5 3.182Z\"\/><\/g><defs><clippath id=\"a\"><path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M.5 0h16v16H.5z\"\/><\/clippath><\/defs><\/svg><span class=\"google-preferred-source__text\">Add Al Jazeera on Google<\/span><\/button><button tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"See more of Al Jazeera\u2019s trusted journalism by adding us as a preferred source on Google.\" class=\"tooltip-accessible_trigger\"><svg class=\"icon icon--info icon--primary icon--16 google-preferred-source__info-icon\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.1\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><title>info<\/title><path class=\"icon-main-color\" d=\"M12 0a12 12 0 1 0 0 24 12 12 0 0 0 0-24Zm-.226 3.225a2.039 2.039 0 0 1 2.155 1.924v.193a1.998 1.998 0 0 1-2.155 2.149 2.029 2.029 0 0 1-2.146-2.15 2.039 2.039 0 0 1 1.955-2.122h.193l-.002.006Zm3.227 15.525a.75.75 0 0 1-.752.75H9.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.75h.748V12h-.75a.75.75 0 0 1-.75-.75v-1.5a.75.75 0 0 1 .752-.751h3a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.752v6.75h.75a.75.75 0 0 1 .75.749L15 18.75Z\"\/><\/svg><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>Preliminary and partial results released show a new political party led by an ex-rapper is in front in Nepal\u2019s parliamentary election, the country\u2019s first since last year\u2019s\u00a0youth-led revolt.<\/p>\n<p>The Rastriya Swatantra (RSP) already won 60 of 165 directly elected seats and is leading in 61 other constituencies in the results published by Nepal\u2019s Election Commission on Saturday.<\/p>\n<section class=\"more-on\">\n<h2 class=\"more-on__heading\">Recommended Stories<!-- --> <\/h2>\n<p><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">list of 2 items<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>Its prime ministerial candidate is rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, 35, who won the 2022 Kathmandu mayoral race and emerged as a leading figure in the 2025 uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.<\/p>\n<p>He highlighted health and education for poor Nepalis as a key focus of his campaign, which rode a wave of public anger towards traditional political parties.<\/p>\n<p>Shah, running directly against Oli in a southeastern district, won the seat with a wide margin, securing almost four times as many votes as the former prime minister.<\/p>\n<p>He said the vote reflected his refusal to take \u201cthe easy way out\u201d and signalled a reckoning with the \u201cproblems and betrayals that have affected the country\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Oil congratulated Shah in a post on X, wishing him a \u201csmooth and successful\u201d term.<\/p>\n<p>[Translation: <em>Balenu Babu, Congratulations to you for the victory! May your five-year tenure be smooth and successful\u2014heartfelt best wishes!<\/em>]<\/p>\n<p>Shah, widely known simply as \u201cBalen\u201d, trained as a civil engineer before breaking through as one of Nepal\u2019s most prominent rappers, releasing conscious music targeting corruption and inequality that later became anthems of the September protests.<\/p>\n<p>His 2022 election as Kathmandu\u2019s first independent mayor was also a major upset for the political establishment at the time. The RSP, his party, founded the same year, was built on a similar anti-establishment platform.<\/p>\n<p>Its campaign before Thursday\u2019s vote was highly organised, with a more-than-660-person social media operation and significant funding from the Nepali diaspora, particularly in the United States.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe nation was fed up with the old corrupt leaders,\u201d said Birendra Kumar Mehta, a member of RSP\u2019s central committee.<\/p>\n<p>The September protests, initially triggered by a government ban on social media platforms, rapidly escalated into a mass movement against corruption and economic stagnation. At least 77 people were killed.<\/p>\n<p>Shah emerged as a figurehead of the protests, and his song <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lCJRnlXy6SM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nepal Haseko<\/a>, Nepal Smiling, accumulated more than 10 million YouTube views during the unrest.\u00a0His victory reflects a growing generational divide in the country.<\/p>\n<p>More than 40 percent of Nepal\u2019s nearly 30 million people are under 35, yet the leadership of its established parties has remained in its 70s.<\/p>\n<p>Nepalese journalist Pranaya Rana described Shah to Al Jazeera as embodying \u201cthe outsider spirit that many young Nepalis are looking for to shake up the status quo\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Balendra Shah\u2019s party represents a reformist wave reshaping Himalayan nation\u2019s politics. Listen to this article\u00a0|\u00a03 mins info Published On 8 Mar 20268 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Preliminary and partial results released show a new political party led by an ex-rapper is in front […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14307,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14306","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14306","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14306"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14306\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/14307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inernews.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}