After winning resounding majority in Nepal's first post-uprising election, upstart party set to form new government

KATHMANDU, Nepal

After securing a commanding majority in Nepal’s parliament, Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is set to form the country’s new government.

In the first elections since mass protests ousted the government of K.P. Sharma Oli last September, the RSP, a relatively new party, won 125 of the total 165 seats under the first-past-the-post electoral system. As vote counting under proportional representation is underway, the party is leading the vote counts, leaving legacy parties far behind.

Of the total 9.97 million votes counted so far under proportional representation, the RSP won 4.80 million, meaning it is is expected to win at least half of the total 110 seats.

The election commission plans to complete the proportional representation vote counting and submit a detailed election report to President Ramchandra Paudel by Wednesday, said commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai. Based on the report, Paudel will call on the largest party to form the government under the mandate demonstrated in the election.

A party needs 138 votes to form the government. Once the seats under proportional representation are allocated, the RSP will have more seats than required to form a new government.

More than 70 people were killed in last year’s protests.

Balendra Shah, 35, former mayor of the capital Kathmandu, is the party’s top candidate for premier. Popularly known as Balen, Balendra defeated ousted Prime Minister Oli in his home district in eastern Nepal.

- Modi pledges ‘new heights’ in India-Nepal relations

In a telephone call, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated RSP leaders Shah and Rabi Lamichhane on their electoral victories.

During the call, Modi conveyed his best wishes for their forthcoming new government and India's commitment to work with Nepali leaders for mutual prosperity, progress, and well-being,

Modi wrote on X: “I am confident that with our joint endeavors, India and Nepal relations will scale new heights in the years ahead.”