Nepal Election Results 2026 Live Updates: Balen Shah's party heads toward landslide victory, KP Oli stares at losing his own seat

Nepal Election Results 2026 Live Updates: Nepal awaits the first results of a pivotal parliamentary election on Friday, as vote counting began after a closely watched poll expected to shape the country’s political direction following last year’s deadly protests.Election Commission spokesman Prakash Nyupane said counting had started peacefully in most parts of the country. While some early results were expected later on Friday, final nationwide tallies could take several days. Even then, negotiations to form a government may be lengthy if no single party secures a clear majority, as many analysts predict.Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki praised the orderly conduct of the vote, calling it crucial for “determining our future”. The election will decide who replaces the interim administration that has governed since the September 2025 uprising, during which at least 77 people were killed and parliament along with dozens of government buildings were set on fire.The unrest was driven largely by youth-led protests, initially sparked by a brief ban on social media but quickly fuelled by wider frustration over corruption and economic hardship.Among the leading contenders are KP Sharma Oli, the 74-year-old Marxist former prime minister seeking a return to power, Balendra Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician popular with younger voters, and Gagan Thapa, the new leader of the long-established Nepali Congress party.