Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah unseated former Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli in his own constituency, Election Commission data showed Saturday, with his party also seemingly headed for a landslide victory nationally.

The 35-year-old's victory over the 74-year-old Marxist leader -- and his rise from city mayor to potential prime minister -- marks one of the most dramatic results in recent Nepali politics.

The high-stakes election on Thursday came six months after deadly protests toppled the government led by Oli, with at least 77 people killed.

The September 2025 youth-led demonstrations, under a loose Gen Z banner, began over a brief social media ban but quickly tapped into broader grievances over corruption and a struggling economy.

Nationwide, Shah's centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was on track to win a majority in the 275-member House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, according to early trends issued by the Election Commission, although counting still has far to go.

"Looking at the trend, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has taken the lead in many places and has won several seats," commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told AFP.