Nepal, March 13 -- With the counting of proportional representation (PR) votes now complete, political attention in Kathmandu has begun to shift from the ballot box to the corridors of power. The central question dominating discussions is no longer who won the election, but how the new government will take shape-and who will hold the decisive influence in selecting the cabinet.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which has emerged as the dominant force in the election after securing a commanding position under both the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) and PR systems, is preparing to form the next government under the leadership of Senior Leader Balendra Shah, widely known as Balen. During the election campaign, the party had projected Balen as...