In a big political upset in Nepal, rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, widely known as Balen Shah, has won the parliamentary election from the Jhapa-5 constituency. He defeated former prime minister KP Sharma Oli by nearly 50,000 votes.
Many observers say the result is one of the biggest surprises of the 2026 election and shows that Nepal’s politics may be changing.
Big Win in Oli’s Stronghold
According to the vote count, Shah received 68,348 votes while Oli, who leads the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), got 18,734 votes. What makes the result even more striking is that Shah defeated Oli in what has long been seen as Oli’s strong political base. The big margin has also boosted Shah’s standing as the prime ministerial face of the Rastriya Swatantra Party.
This election has drawn a lot of attention because it is the first parliamentary vote since the 2025 youth-led protests that forced Oli’s government to step down. Those protests began after the government announced a controversial social media ban. But the demonstrations quickly grew larger and turned into a wider movement against corruption, unemployment and political instability. The unrest turned violent at times, and at least 77 people were killed, shaking Nepal’s political system.
From Rapper to Political Leader
According to reports, Shah is already a well-known figure in the country. Before entering national politics, he served as the mayor of Kathmandu. He first gained popularity after winning that election as an independent candidate. He was known as a rapper who often spoke about corruption and problems in politics through his music before entering politics. The 35-year-old leader has since built a strong base of support. He had strong support among younger voters who want a change from Nepal’s traditional political parties.
His party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is also performing strongly in the ongoing vote count. Early trends show the party either leading or winning in many constituencies across the country.
Nepal’s House of Representatives of Nepal has 275 seats. Out of these, 165 seats are decided through direct voting while 110 seats are filled through proportional representation. A party needs 138 seats to form a government.
