India, March 6 -- Nepal could be heading toward a major political shift as Balendra Shah and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) take a significant lead in the House of Representatives elections, strengthening his prospects of becoming the next prime minister of the Himalayan nation.

The RSP has emerged as a powerful political force among young voters in Nepal, particularly after a massive Gen Z-led protest movement last year that forced former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli to step down.

According to early trends on Friday, vote counting showed the RSP leading in at least 44 seats.

Shah - popularly known as Balen Shah - is currently leading in Jhapa 5 against K. P. Sharma Oli, the president of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Mar...