KATHMANDU, Nepal

Nepal's Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has taken a commanding lead on Friday in early results in the country’s general elections, according to local media.

The relatively new party has left established parties, including the Communist Party of Nepal, also known as the Unified Marxist–Leninist (UML) and the Nepali Congress (NC) party, far behind in early vote counting.

Of the 148 election constituencies where vote counting has begun, the RSP has a lead in 106 seats.

While the RSP has already won two election seats in the capital Kathmandu, the UML is far behind with a lead in just 13 seats. The NC party is leading in 12 election constituencies.

The Election Commission has yet to officially release poll results.

Nepal held general elections on Thursday to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives, with approximately 60% of voters casting their ballots. The general elections were held for the first time since mass protests overthrew then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's government.

A party, or a coalition, needs a simple majority of 138 seats to form a government.

The RSP has fielded former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah as its candidate for prime minister.

Shah, who backed the Gen Z protests that toppled the KP Sharma Oli-led government last year, resigned as mayor to join the RSP.

He was elected mayor of the capital city on an independent ticket, garnering almost double the votes that heavyweights from major political parties secured in the 2022 local elections.

He is contesting the election from the Jhapa-5 constituency.

Early vote counting shows Shah ahead in the poll race with more than double the votes.

The RSP, founded in July 2022 by former television host Rabi Lamichhane, had emerged as the fourth-largest party in parliament.

With Lamichhane facing organized crime and money laundering charges, the party reached an agreement to field Shah as its candidate for prime minister.

China welcomes 'timely' election

Reacting to elections in its southern neighbor, China on Friday "congratulated" Nepal on the "smooth and timely completion" of elections.

Beijing "welcomes Nepal's successful progress on its national political agenda," Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning told reporters in the Chinese capital.

"As traditional friendly neighbors, China attaches great importance to China-Nepal relations, and both sides have consistently supported each other's efforts to safeguard independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity," said Mao, according to a transcript of her news conference.

She added China "is willing to work with Nepal to promote the continued development of the China-Nepal strategic cooperative partnership of friendship for development and prosperity."