Balen-affiliated RSP maintains lead in Nepal’s parliamentary vote count, final results expected next week

KATHMANDU: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has continued to maintain lead in the parliamentary vote count while it secures 125 seats under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) category. The newly formed party to which former Kathmandu Mayor and rapper Balendra Shah is affiliated is leading the Proportionate Representation (PR) category as well.

With counting completed in 164 out of the total 165 constituencies, RSP has won 125 seats while the Nepali Congress has secured 18 seats and the CPN-UML has won nine constituencies. The Nepali Communist Party has secured seven seats under the FPTP category.

Under the proportional representation vote count so far, the RSP has secured 4,967, 043 votes. The Nepali Congress has garnered 1, 684, 175 votes in the proportional category, while the CPN-UML has secured 1, 400, 247 votes. The Nepali Communist Party has received 7,61,680 votes under the proportional system.

In the House of Representatives election, political parties must secure at least 3 per cent of the total PR votes to qualify for seats under the proportional representation system. Based on the current vote count, only RSP, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, NCP and RPP appear likely to cross the threshold.

#WATCH | Kathmandu, Nepal: Former mayor and rapper Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah casts his vote at the Annapurna Vinayak School polling centre for Nepal’s 2026 general election. pic.twitter.com/2NpCqogpMv

— ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2026

If the vote share remains unchanged until the final count, the RSP is projected to win around 60 seats under the PR system. Similarly, the Nepali Congress may secure 20 seats, the CPN-UML 17 seats, the Maoist Centre eight seats, and the RPP five seats.

Adding the projected 60 PR seats, the RSP could secure around 185 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives. A party needs 184 seats to command a two-thirds majority in the House. If the current voting trend continues, the RSP appears on course to secure that threshold.

Meanwhile, the vote counting result in Dhanusha-1 has been deferred following a dispute over whether to validate votes cast for RSP candidate Kishori Shah.

The Election Commission had declared Shah disqualified for the election two days before polling day, citing claims regarding his eligibility. The dispute over the validity of votes cast in his favour has delayed the final declaration of the result in the constituency.

On Monday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated leaders of Nepal’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on their electoral victory in the country’s national polls and expressed confidence that the bilateral ties will scale new heights with joint endeavours of the leaders of the two countries.

In a post on X, PM Modi said he had a warm telephone conversation with Rabi Lamichhane, chairman of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Balendra Shah, senior leader of the RSP. PM Modi also conveyed his best wishes to the leaders for the formation of the new government in Nepal and reiterated India’s willingness to work closely with the incoming leadership.

“Congratulated both leaders on their electoral victories and RSP’s resounding success in the Nepal elections. Conveyed my best wishes for their forthcoming new Government and India’s commitment to work with them for mutual prosperity, progress and well-being of our two countries,” he said. “I am confident that with our joint endeavours, India and Nepal relations will scale new heights in the years ahead,” he added.

On March 5, voters cast their ballots to elect 165 candidates under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) category and for 110 seats under the Proportional Representation (PR) category. (ANI)