India, March 6 -- Yesterday, Nepal went to polls, and the results will start coming in from today evening. There are several issues involved, and many former prime ministers are in the fray. Along with the talks of internal democracy, Gen Z's demand, which toppled the previous regime amid protests, and India-Nepal relations, what is at stake is the future ties with China. The last one becomes crucial because Balen Shah, an engineer-rapper-Kathmandu-Mayor-politician, who emerged as the face of Gen Z demands, and may become the next prime minister, has already dropped a China-linked economic bombshell.

In February, 2026, when Shah's party, Rastriya Swatantra Party, released its election manifesto, it did not list a major project in the eas...