PTI
New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the people and the government of Nepal for the successful conduct of elections in the Himalayan nation, and said the historic milestone is a proud moment in Nepal’s democratic journey.
Modi also said that as a close friend and neighbour, India remains steadfast in its commitment to working closely with the people of Nepal and its new government to scale new heights of shared peace, progress and prosperity.
Rashtriya Swatantra Party’s (RSP) Balendra Shah on Saturday defeated four-time PM K P Sharma Oli by a huge margin and was set to form the next government in Nepal, decimating traditional political parties in the first general elections since last year’s violent Gen Z protests demanding generational change and corruption-free regime.
“I warmly congratulate the people and government of Nepal on the successful and peaceful conduct of elections. It is heartening to see my Nepali sisters and brothers exercise their democratic rights so vibrantly. This historic milestone is a proud moment in Nepal’s democratic journey,” Modi said in a post on X.
The RSP, which was formed in 2022 by Ravi Lamichhane, has won 62 seats out of the 78 seats for which results have been declared by 6:30 pm, according to the Election Commission (EC).
Seats of RSP include a clean sweep in all 10 constituencies of Kathmandu district even as it is leading in 60 seats across the country, the EC data showed.
Legacy parties were far behind in convincing voters for whom the major issues included fighting corruption and an end to nepotism apart from a generational change in political leadership of the Himalayan nation.
The Nepali Congress (NC) won nine and was leading in nine seats; the CPN-(UML) won just three seats and is leading in nine; the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) won two seats and is leading in five, the Shrama Shakti Party (SSP) was leading in three seats, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) won one seat, the EC data showed. Among the winners is one independent.
