The rapper-turned-politician, Balendra Shah — Balen to his legion of fans — is on song in Nepal. Mr Shah and his Rastriya Swatantra Party are all set to take on the reins of that country after their superlative performances in the recent election. Mr Shah made K.P. Sharma Oli, a former prime minister, eat humble pie at the hustings. Several of Nepal’s legacy political parties, including the Nepali Congress and its communist outfits, have also been humbled by the RSP, a political entity that saw the light of day only around four years ago. This huge public mandate in favour of a relatively new political force needs to be read not only as a collective disenchantment with Nepal’s entrenched political establishment but also perennial political instability, worsening economic crisis, patronage networks, and embedded corruption. Indeed, the success of the RSP can be attributed to the fact that to Nepal’s voters, it appeared to be tuned into the anxieties and the anger of the electorate, especially those of Gen-Z voters, that has been disillusioned with the state of affairs for a while now. But with great power comes greater responsibilities. Mr Shah’s charismatic leadership and the RSP’s ostensible commitment to reform are likely to be tested as they chart a new course for Nepal. It must be noted that in Bangladesh, a similar movement led by young people and students has ended up ceding space to conservative elements.
The Indian prime minister has, quite rightly, sent out a congratulatory note to Nepal’s victorious party. New Delhi had read the tea leaves right and not been opposed to the tectonic changes that have taken place in Nepal’s political landscape in recent times. India, in fact, would be pleased with the trouncing of Nepal’s communists: under them, there had been concern that Nepal had tilted closer to Beijing than to New Delhi. Now, New Delhi and Kathmandu must expedite the resetting of their long, historical ties of fraternity. And New Delhi must work to scotch perceptions of India wishing to play the role of the proverbial Big Brother in the neighbourhood. This is a time of great churn around the world and in India’s backyard. That further underscores the need for India and its traditional partners — Nepal, undoubtedly, is among these — to cement their ties.