Ex-rapper Balendra Shah wins landslide election in Nepal

A new political party founded just four years ago, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is set to dominate Nepal’s new parliament with a near two-thirds majority. Led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, the party secured 182 seats in the 275-member lower house, defeating established parties like the Nepali Congress and the Marxist party of former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli. The victory follows dramatic elections sparked by protests against corruption and economic stagnation, with Shah’s generational appeal resonating with the country’s young population. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has pledged close cooperation with the incoming government as Nepal prepares to select a new prime minister in the coming days.

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