KATHMANDU: KP Sharma Oli, chair of the CPN-UML, has congratulated Balen Shah, senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, on his victory in the House of Representatives election from Jhapa 5.
Oli extended his congratulations through social media on Saturday evening, wishing Shah a successful five-year term. “Balen, congratulations on your victory! May your five-year tenure be successful and smooth. Best wishes,” Oli wrote.
Shah secured a landslide win in Jhapa-5 with 68,348 votes. His closest rival, Oli, received 18,734 votes. Shah won the constituency by a margin of 49,614 votes in what has long been considered a stronghold of the UML, where Oli had remained undefeated for years.
With Shah’s historic victory, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has also delivered strong results across the country. Shah, who gained wide popularity as the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party only shortly before the general elections.
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