Balendra Shah’s thumping win caps another big day for RSP

Kathmandu’s former mayor secured 68,348 votes, defeating Oli by nearly 50,000 votes and bolstering his chances of becoming prime minister.

Jhapa-5 was the most keenly-watched constituency in Nepal’s March 5 elections. In this race, the widely popular Balendra Shah , the former mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, was up against KP Sharma Oli, the former prime minister ousted by the Gen Z uprising back in September 2025.