Nepal Election Results 2026 LIVE: Balen Shah’s Gen Z-backed party wins 1 seat, leads in 36 as counting continues
Balen Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is leading in 35 constituencies across Nepal in early vote counting. Shah’s party is often described as Gen Z-backed because his political rise has been closely tied to the wave of youth frustration that fueled last year’s youth protests.
A former rapper with a strong social media presence, Shah built his popularity among young, urban voters through digital outreach, anti-establishment messaging and criticism of traditional political elites.
Polling in Nepal’s general election closed on Thursday evening, with the Himalayan nation set to elect a new parliament nearly six months after 77 people were killed in a crackdown on Gen Z–led protests that forced the then prime minister to resign.
The Election Commission said it has made all necessary arrangements to declare the results within 24 hours of the vote count. It added that counting for the proportional representation category will begin only after the results of the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system are announced, as per a report by Nepal news.
Early trends in Nepal polls
• Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is leading in 35 constituencies across Nepal in early vote counting.
• Party chairman Rabi Lamichhane is ahead in Chitwan-2.
• Senior leader Balen Shah is leading in Jhapa-5.
• In Kathmandu, RSP candidates are ahead in several constituencies including Kathmandu-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 10.
• The party is also leading in both Bhaktapur constituencies — Bhaktapur-1 and Bhaktapur-2.
• RSP candidates are ahead in multiple other seats including Morang, Dhanusha, Rautahat, Bara, Lalitpur, Kaski, Rupandehi, Dang, Banke and Kanchanpur.
60% voter turnout in elections, strong Gen Z participation
Preliminary estimates suggest overall voter turnout reached around 60 percent, with strong participation from Gen Z voters adding what officials described as “unprecedented” energy to the polls.
The Election Commission attributed the smooth conduct of the vote to improved voter education, cooperation from political parties and robust security arrangements.
First elections after Gen Z protests in Nepal
The election, held months after the Gen Z–led protests that had raised questions about the credibility of the government and the Election Commission, was largely peaceful across the country. After polling concluded at 5 pm, Officiating Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari thanked the people of Nepal for their participation.
Speaking to ANI, Joint Secretary and Spokesperson of the Nepal Election Commission Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said, “This election was planned in special circumstances. There were some doubts among the people about the success of the selection, but due to the effective cooperation from political parties, candidates, all voters, Govt of Nepal, the private sector, the media and all sectors, we were able to successfully conclude the elections.”
Referring to the role of young voters after the earlier protests, Bhattarai said, “Gen Z has been very much supportive in this election. Their participation in this election process has also been positive in terms of Candidates as well as voters.”
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