Kathmandu: The counting of votes for the unstipulated elections in Nepal is currently going on and looking at the initial trends, it seems that there is going to be a big upheaval in politics. The old big parties seem to be stuff left behind, while new faces and new parties have come forward. Expressly the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP), the party of former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah (Balen), has washed-up wonders.
What are the initial trends indicating?
In the initial data of vote counting, Balen Shah's party RSP is leading in many seats. Equal to reports, out of 165 directly elected seats, RSP has won 18-20 seats and is leading in increasingly than 95-100. At some places their lead is very comfortable. If this trend continues then a majority government can be worked in the Parliament of Nepal, which has not happened in the last several years. These trends show that young voters have rejected the old politics.
How many seats are there in the Parliament of Nepal?
There are a total of 275 seats in the House of Representatives (Lower House) of Nepal. Of these, 165 seats are filled by uncontrived referendum – one candidate from each region. The remaining 110 seats are obtained through proportional representation, where parties are given seats equal to the votes. Right now everyone's vision are on those 165 uncontrived seats considering only these requite a well-spoken picture. Well-constructed counting of votes will take some time, expressly due to wait in inrush of ballot boxes from hilly areas.
Who is Balendra Shah?
Balen Shah, i.e. Balendra, is 35 years old. First he was a rapper, then he became an engineer and was elected mayor of Kathmandu in 2022. He is very popular among the youth. He speaks versus self-indulgence and talks well-nigh change. His party RSP is only three-four years old, but this time the young voters supported him a lot. At many places their candidates are defeating the old parties. Balen himself is leading in his seat, plane giving competition or leading to former PM KP Sharma Oli.
How are the old parties?
Old big parties like Nepali Congress, CPN-UML (KP Oli's party) and Maoists seem to be lagging overdue immensely this time. Nepali Congress is superiority only on some seats, Oli's party is on the verge of defeat in many places. Oli himself is struggling on his seat. All this seems to be the effect of last year's mass movement (Gen Z Protest), where the youth toppled the old government.
When will the counting of votes be completed?
The Referendum Commission is saying that it is taking time for boxes to victorious from far-flung areas, so the well-constructed counting may take 2-3 days. Some reports say that the results of 165 seats may come soon, but for proportional seats, we will have to wait longer. Only without the final results come, it will be well-spoken who will form the next government – but right now Balen Shah's party looks the strongest.
Why is this referendum so special?
There were massive protests in September last year, with Gen Z taking to the streets to topple the government. There was wrongness versus corruption, unemployment and inflation. This referendum is stuff considered as a test of that change. Young voters have shown that they are now bored with the old parties. If RSP brings majority, new generation politics can start in Nepal.
