Nepal’s general election, on March 5, 2026, has produced a refreshing, if stunning, outcome. The landslide victory of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is a watershed in Nepali politics. Traditional political parties were routed; prominent leaders of the ancien régime, including senior leaders from the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist), or CPN(UML), lost to newer political faces. For New Delhi, this is a unique opportunity to shape a new future for bilateral relations.
The elections were held in the backdrop of the Gen Z movement, in September 2025. The massive protests, by Nepal’s youth, were directed against the twin issues of corruption and nepotism. They led to the formation of a temporary government led by former Nepal Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the interim Prime Minister, with a clear mandate to hold the next elections. Consequently, on the recommendation of Ms. Karki, the President dissolved the lower house of Parliament, and the general election being held. For the 275-member House of Representative, 165 members are elected under first past the post (FPTP), and 110 members under proportional representation (PR) where voters choose parties. It is to the credit of Ms. Karki that the elections were held peacefully.
A party needs 138 seats in Nepal’s parliament to form a government, and it is clear that the RSP will comfortably form the new government without a coalition partner.
The rise of a party
Although relatively new to national politics — having secured 20 seats in Parliament in the 2022 general election — the RSP has clearly captured public sentiment. Its rise can largely be attributed to dissatisfaction with traditional political parties, particularly among the youth. While RSP chairman, Rabi Lamichhane was made Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister of Nepal in 2022, in the coalition government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’, he was arrested in what were seen as framed charges of corruption. During the Gen Z protests, he was released from prison.
A resonance
The RSP has declared Balendra “Balen” Shah as its prime ministerial candidate, while Mr. Lamichhane will retain the Party president post. The most startling symbol of a generational political shift is Mr. Shah’s rise, a former rapper who stunned the political establishment by becoming the Mayor of Kathmandu as an independent candidate in 2022. Mr. Shah, a trained structural engineer, first made his name in Nepal’s hip-hop scene. His rap lyrics — sharp, irreverent and often angry — took aim at corruption, political complacency and the everyday frustrations of urban life. His songs such as “Balidan”, circulated widely among young Nepalis long before he entered politics,made him an unlikely voice of dissent for a generation weary of cynical politics.
As Mayor, his proactive initiatives in Kathmandu included a cleanliness drive, beautification, waste management, and the creation of “no traffic zones”. Confident of winning the election, he defeated former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in his traditional constituency Jhapa-5 by a margin of nearly 50,000 votes.
The RSP caught the imagination of the youth; the party fielded many candidates under the age of 40, as 52% of Nepal’s voters are between the age of 18 to 40 years. The RSP’s party manifesto or “Bacha Patra” appealed to young Nepalis, focusing on clean governance, corruption free politics, administrative and judicial reforms. But the RSP is largely untested, gaining support from an electorate that expressed its discontent with political instability, rampant corruption and poor economic development.
Editorial | Generational shift: On the Nepal election, the results
Since the adoption of the new constitution in 2015, no single party has ever won a majority in Parliament. The RSP now has a major responsibility to provide a stable government with no room for inner-party fissures, like other parties. Unmet expectations can quickly turn into frustrations. The new government should focus on socio-economic development, completing ongoing projects and identifying new ones which will benefit younger Nepalis.
The path for India to take
India has congratulated Ms. Karki for successfully conducting the elections and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that “as a close friend and neighbour, India remains steadfast in its commitment to working closely with the people of Nepal” and [wished] “their new Government to scale new heights of shared peace, progress and prosperity”. The real course of India’s policies must be guided by three principles.
First, respect for Nepal’s democratic process. Governments will rise and fall, and coalitions will form and dissolve. India’s engagement should remain consistent, whatever the political configuration in Kathmandu.
Second, there should be partnership through development rather than patronage. Infrastructure connectivity, energy cooperation and educational exchange can deepen trust far more effectively than overbearing political oversight.
Third, focus on quiet diplomacy. India’s influence in Nepal has historically been the strongest when exercised with sensitivity rather than visibility.
The Nepal election was not merely a domestic political event. It was part of a larger story —the evolution of a young democracy navigating its own aspirations in a complex geopolitical environment. For India, the challenge is not to shape that story but to support it with warmth and positivity.
Amitabh Mattoo is Dean and Professor at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Sangeeta Thapliyal is Professor at School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and former ICCR Professor Chair in Kathmandu University
Published – March 12, 2026 12:08 am IST
