Nepal polls: Gen Z wave sweeps old guard as Balen Shah heads for historic mandate

Nepal’s 2026 parliamentary election, held on March 5, came after a dramatic Gen Z–led uprising that forced Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign in September 2025. Conducted under interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, the vote saw nearly 19 million citizens elect representatives to the 275-member House. The contest largely pitted traditional parties—Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, and Maoist Centre—against the reformist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Riding a powerful youth wave, the RSP led by Kathmandu mayor Balendra “Balen” Shah surged ahead, routing the political old guard and heading toward a historic mandate. The election signals a generational shift in Nepal’s politics and raises expectations for governance reform and economic revival.