Nepal Election Results 2026 Highlights: RSP crosses majority mark — 35-year-old Balen Shah to become PM?

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According to the Election Commission's data available from 161 of the total 165 constituencies, the RSP has won four seats and is ahead in 110 others, reported local media.

Ranju Darshana of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) secured victory in Kathmandu-1 with 15,455 votes, while Yogesh Gauchan Thakali of the Nepali Congress (NC) won the Mustang seat with 3,307 votes.

In addition, Biraj Bhakta Shrestha of the RSP was elected from Kathmandu-8, and his party colleague Shishir Khanal won in Kathmandu-6.

Dol Prasad Aryal, vice president of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) told ANI that the party anticipates securing a two-thirds majority in the upcoming parliament. "One hundred and eighty-six. Yes, in total we are expecting one hundred and eighty-six seats," Aryal said as he came out from the counting centre.

According to the latest trends reported by the Kathmandu Post, the Rastriya Swatantra Party is leading with 109 seats. The CPN-UML has secured 13 seats, while the Nepali Congress has won 12 and the Nepali Communist Party 7. Other parties have collectively obtained 9 seats.

RSP's Raju Nath Pandey, 55, has been elected to the House of Representatives from Kathmandu-3, defeating his nearest competitor, Kulman Ghising of the Ujyalo Nepal Party, by 7,586 votes, as per The Kathmandu Post.

Final results released by the Election Commission on Friday evening show that he received a total of 18,757 votes.

In Bhaktapur-2, Rajiv Khatri of the Rastriya Swatantra Party is leading the vote count with 15,261 votes, securing a commanding lead in the constituency, according to The Kathmandu Post.

His nearest competitor, Mahesh Basnet of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), has received 4,269 votes, trailing by 10,992 votes. Meanwhile, Kavir Rana from the Nepali Congress has so far secured 3,801 votes, with counting still in progress.

“Balen Shah is so popular that buses arriving in Kathmandu reading ‘Headed to Balen’s city,’” said Bipin Adhikari, a constitutional law expert and lecturer at Kathmandu University.

Adhikari added that if Shah succeeds in assuming office, it would mark the culmination of a remarkable rise for a man who first gained public attention through rap music critical of the establishment and leveraged that popularity to climb to a prominent political position, as per The Kathmandu Post.

The latest trends in Nepal’s elections indicate that the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is dominating the count, leading with 110 seats and outpacing all other parties.

The Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML) are currently tied at 10 seats each, while the Nepali Communist Party has won 8 seats. Candidates from other parties and independents account for 9 seats, reported The Kathmandu Post.

In Jhapa-5, Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party is maintaining a strong lead in the vote count with 13,654 votes.

His nearest competitor, K. P. Sharma Oli of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), trails with 3,011 votes, while Samir Tamang from the Shram Sanskriti Party has so far secured 1,517 votes, according to The Kathmandu Post.

On Friday, China congratulated Nepal for conducting its elections smoothly, while closely observing the outcome trends that indicate a major setback for the pro-Beijing CPN-UML led by former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Preliminary results show Oli, a four-time prime minister, trailing significantly behind the Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate, rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, in his own parliamentary constituency.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated, “We are glad to see Nepal advance its political agenda smoothly. As a traditionally friendly neighbour, China values its relations with Nepal.”

"The two countries have given each other support in their effort to safeguard independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity," she added.

Former Prime Minister and coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has won the Rukum East constituency in Thursday’s parliamentary elections, earning his fifth consecutive term in the House of Representatives.

Dahal received 10,240 votes in the election. His nearest competitor, CPN-UML candidate Lilamani Gautam, secured 3,462 votes, while Nepali Congress candidate Kusum Devi Thapa finished third with 3,081 votes, according to the Kathmandu Post.

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) chairman Rabi Lamichhane has strengthened his lead in the Chitwan-2 constituency as the vote counting from Thursday’s parliamentary election continues.

Lamichhane has obtained 17,414 votes so far, putting him ahead of Nepali Congress candidate Mina Kumari Kharel by a margin of 12,220 votes. Kharel has received 5,194 votes, while CPN-UML candidate Asmin Ghimire is in third place with 4,738 votes, according to a report by the Kathmandu Post.

Among Nepal’s 15 mountainous districts, ballot papers have yet to be transported to three areas—Sankhuwasabha District, Dolpa District and Gorkha District, according to a report by The Himalayan Times citing the Election Commission of Nepal.

The report said ballot papers for these districts have not been dispatched because of adverse weather conditions. Kul Bahadur GC, assistant spokesperson of the Election Commission, said plans to airlift the ballot papers by helicopter could not be carried out due to continuing weather-related challenges.

According to the latest trends reported by The Kathmandu Post, the Rastriya Swatantra Party is leading in 106 seats in Nepal’s ongoing election count. The Nepali Congress is ahead in 11 seats, while the Nepal Communist Party is leading in nine seats. The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML) is ahead in 10 seats, while other parties and independent candidates are leading in six constituencies.

Shishir Khanal of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has been elected from Kathmandu Constituency No. 6, earning a second term in parliament, according to a report by The Kathmandu Post.

Khanal secured 27,719 votes in the contest. His closest challenger, Krishna Baniya Chhetri of the Nepali Congress, polled 6,647 votes, while Aman Kumar Maskey from the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) finished behind with 4,373 votes.

Under Nepal’s parliamentary system, 165 members of the House of Representatives of Nepal are chosen through a first-past-the-post voting system, while another 110 are allocated through a closed-list proportional representation system based on the results of the directly elected seats. To form a government, a party must secure at least 135 seats, a majority that is rarely achieved in the Himalayan nation, where coalition governments are typically the norm.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party, a three-year-old political outfit led by former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, is currently leading in 105 of the 165 directly contested seats.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has emerged as the frontrunner in Nepal’s House of Representatives of Nepal elections held on March 5, benefiting from a surge in support after the Gen Z-led movement in September.

According to The Kathmandu Post, early vote counts show the party leading in 105 constituencies, while the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML) is ahead in 11 constituencies.

In Bhaktapur-2, Rajiv Khatri of the Rastriya Swatantra Party is ahead in the vote count with 8,520 votes, according to the latest tally reported by The Kathmandu Post.

His closest challenger, Mahesh Basnet of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), has received 2,876 votes so far, while Kavin Rana from the Nepali Congress has received 1,342 votes.

Balendra Shah, who until recently served as mayor of Kathmandu, is currently leading in the Jhapa‑5 constituency against four-time prime minister and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) chair KP Sharma Oli in what is considered his stronghold. Popularly known as Balen, Shah had secured 6,551 votes, while Oli had received 1,428 votes as of 4:19 pm, reported The Kathmandu Post.

Oli was followed by Samir Tamang of the Shram Sanskriti Party, who had garnered 381 votes.

Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday stated, “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 mentioned India has "consistently supported peace, progress and stability in Nepal and in keeping with our commitment, provided logistical supplies as per request from Government of Nepal for these elections".

Nepali Congress concedes defeat in general election, says party's vice-president, reported Reuters.

According to the latest trends reported by The Kathmandu Post, the Rastriya Swatantra Party is leading with 96 seats in Nepal’s ongoing election count. The Nepali Congress is ahead in 10 seats, while the Nepal Communist Party and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) are each leading in nine seats. Other parties and independent candidates are ahead in two constituencies.

Yogesh Gauchan Thakali of the Nepali Congress has won the parliamentary election from Mustang District. He secured 3,307 votes, defeating his nearest rival Indradhara Bista of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), who received 1,806 votes, reported The Kathmandu Post.

Gauchan, a former member of the dissolved House of Representatives of Nepal, is the son of Congress leader and former minister Romi Gauchan.

Vote counting in Mustang has now been completed.

Balendra Shah was born in Kathmandu in 1990 and grew up during Nepalese Civil War, which lasted a decade. He is the youngest among four siblings. His father, Ram Narayan Shah, a government ayurveda practitioner, passed away in December.

Shah earned a degree in civil engineering from Himalayan Whitehouse International College in Kathmandu. He later completed a postgraduate degree in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University in Karnataka, India, reported Al Jazeera.

Early trends indicated that the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), led by former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, was ahead in four seats, while the Nepali Congress, the country’s oldest political party, was leading in six, as per Reuters.

Balendra Shah, who attracted massive crowds during his campaign rallies, was also ahead of Oli in his home constituency of Jhapa-5, located near the India border.

The party led by Nepali rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah was ahead on Friday in more than two-thirds of the constituencies where early leads were available in the general election, putting it well ahead of rival groups, including that of a former prime minister who was removed from office during last year’s uprising, according to Reuters.

Shah, 35, a former mayor of Kathmandu, has emerged as the frontrunner to become Nepal’s next prime minister. During the campaign, he drew massive attention and near rockstar-level popularity on social media across the Himalayan nation following the youth-led uprising.

Nepal Election Results 2026 LIVE updates: Among the frontrunners in elections are KP Sharma Oli's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) (CPN-UML), Sher Bahadur Deuba's Nepali Congress, and Pushpa Kamal Dahal's CPN (Maoist Centre).

Also in the race as aspiring prime minister is Gagan Thapa, 49, the new head of the country's oldest party, Nepali Congress, who has said he wants to end the "old age" club of revolving veteran leaders.

The newly formed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) led by former rapper Balendra Shah, who was also the mayor of Kathmandu, is also posing a tough challenge to the seasoned political parties.

Election officials in Nepal said that it could take another two to three days to tally the results of the proportional representation vote, BBC reported.

Nepali Congress (NC) has registered its first win in Mustang, where the party’s candidate Yogesh Gauchan Thakali has been declared the winner.
Gauchan won 3,307 votes while his closest rival, Indradhara Dadu Bista of the CPN (UML), received 1,806 votes.

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is continuing its momentum in the House of Representatives elections in Nepal and is leading in 62 seats. Nepali Congress (NC) is at distant second, leading in 9 seats, followed by CPN-UML at 4.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) continues to strengthen its position in the Nepal Election results, leading in 50 seats. The party has already won the Kathmandu-1 seat. Former PM KP Sharma Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (CPN-UML) is leading in just 5 seats.

CPN-UML candidate and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is trailing by over 6,000 votes against Balen Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party in the Jhapa-5 constituency.

Rastriya Swatantra Party candidate Ranju Neupane has won the Kathmandu-1 seat. Neupane secured 15,455 votes, while the rival Nepali Congress candidate Prabal Thapa got 6,364.

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has taken the lead in 43 constituencies, with candidates, including party chairman Rabi Lamichhane, comfortably ahead.

Nepali Congress (NC) candidate Janak Raj Chaudhary has taken an early lead in the Kailali Constituency-1, securing 348 votes.

Nepal Election Results 2026 LIVE: Nepali Communist Party (NCP) candidate Pushpa Kamal Dahal has taken an early lead in the vote count in Rukum East, according to Nepal media reports.

Dahal has bagged 1,415 votes in early trends as counting proceeds. CPN-UML candidate Lilamani Gautam follows with 431 votes, while Nepali Congress candidate Kusum Devi Thapa has received 417 votes.

RSP candidate Lakhan Kumar Thapa is in fourth place with 176 votes. Counting in the constituency is ongoing.

Nepal's first general election results live updates: In Jhapa-2 constituency, Indira Rana Magar, the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, is leading by a good margin, according to NDTV

Rana Magar has secured 2,965 votes, positioning her well ahead of the former Speaker, Devraj Ghimire, who currently has 1,147 votes. Sarita Prasain of the Nepali Congress is trailing closely behind Ghimire in third place with 1,125 votes, Kathmandu Post reported.

Nepal General Election 2026 Results Live: Results for the 165 seats under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system are expected by this evening, while proportional representation results for 110 seats may take several more days.

Nepal Election Results 2026 LIVE: RSP's PM hopeful Balendra Shah, 35, widely known as ‘Balen’, has emerged as a symbol of youth-driven political change, after backing the protests that forced the government from power, news agency AFP said.

Born in Kathmandu in 1990, Shah was a schoolboy during Nepal's decade-long Maoist civil war. A former underground hip-hop artist whose songs railed against corruption and inequality, the 35-year-old civil engineer shot to national prominence through music.

Shah tasted his first political victory in 2022, when he was elected Kathmandu's first independent mayor. Over the years, Shah has cultivated an image of a young reformer who launched campaigns against tax evasion, traffic congestion and waste mismanagement in the country.

In December 2025, Shah joined the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party, positioning himself for national leadership.

Shah is challenging former prime minister Oli in his home constituency. Shah told AFP that it shows he is "not taking the easy way out".

Advocating a liberal economic system with social justice, including free education and healthcare for the poor, Shah says Gen Z's core demand is good governance - and insists music will remain part of his identity, even if he becomes prime minister, news agency AFP said.

Nepal Election Results 2026 LIVE: Early vote counting has placed the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) firmly in the lead across 34 constituencies, far outpacing all other political parties. The CPN-UML follows with early leads in five constituencies, while the Nepali Congress holds leads in two, and the Nepali Communist Party in one, The Kathmandu Post reported

Nepal Election Results 2026 LIVE: India has welcomed the successful conduct of elections in Nepal and said it is ready to work closely with the new government to strengthen bilateral ties.

“We welcome the successful conduct of elections and the exercise of their democratic mandate by the citizens of Nepal today, which has seen enthusiastic participation. We congratulate Prime Minister Sushila Karki, the Government and the people of Nepal as well as various stakeholders for successfully holding these polls, which took place against the backdrop of exceptional circumstances last year,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, responding to media queries after the conclusion of Nepal’s general election.

Nepal Election Results 2026 LIVE: Nepal's interim prime minister Sushila Karki has urged patience as the country awaits clarity on the next government. Karki told the BBC that the interim setup will work toward a swift handover, noting that the nation's youth have "huge expectations" from the incoming government.

"Lets see what kind of government will be formed, whether there will be coalition or a single party government. We will try for quick handover because youths have huge expectations with the new government," Karki told BBC.

Nepal Election Results 2026 LIVE: Early trends show the Rastriya Swatantra Party leading in 14 of the 15 constituencies across the Kathmandu Valley, according to Kathmandu Post.

RSP candidates are ahead in all 10 constituencies in Kathmandu, both constituencies in Lalitpur and both seats in Bhaktapur.