India, March 21 -- Nepal's March 5 election may well prove a political inflection point. Balendra Shah, more popularly known as Balen, and his Rastriya Swatantra party's rare landslide victory would dramatically reshape the politics of the Himalayan nation perched between China and India. Nepal stands at a geopolitical crossroads where India, China and the US each have their own interests. Balen, who is viewed as an avatar of change, is on track to become Nepal's prime minister (PM) after he dismantled Nepal's political elite. The challenge for the new government under Balen's leadership will be balancing ties and maintaining formal non-alignment with three giants without leaning heavily on any.

A party founded barely four years ago, has...