• Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leads in early counting of Nepal's general elections.
• Balendra Shah, former mayor of Kathmandu, is the RSP's candidate for prime minister.
• Over 60% voter turnout recorded; major parties trailing behind RSP.
• The elections follow significant protests that led to a government overhaul last year.
• Results indicate a potential shift in political power away from established parties.

Nepal's general election has seen the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) making substantial gains in early vote counts, with the party leading in almost all constituencies. According to reports, the RSP has taken leads in approximately 106 out of 148 counted constituencies, vastly outpacing traditional parties like the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) and the Nepali Congress (NC), which are trailing significantly, with leads in just 13 and 12 constituencies, respectively, according to AA and AA.

Balendra Shah, the charismatic former mayor of Kathmandu and RSP's prime ministerial candidate, has greatly appealed to the youthful electorate, previously supporting protests that resulted in the overthrow of then-prime minister KP Sharma Oli. Shah is currently leading in Jhapa-5 against Oli by more than 10,000 votes, according to early results from Reuters and IndiaTimes.

The general election follows mass protests last year, commonly referred to as the Gen Z protests, which demanded political reform and accountability, driven largely by discontent towards corruption and governance issues. This shift reflects a broader desire for change among Nepal's younger population, marking a significant political transition in the nation, as noted in IndiaTimes.

With around 60% voter participation recorded, the elections are crucial for establishing a new parliamentary majority, as RSP aims for a simple majority of 138 seats to form a government. The results have yet to be officially confirmed by the Election Commission, and conversations regarding potential coalitions may follow the announcements, as detailed by Reuters and IndiaTimes.