Parti national indépendant

The Parti national indépendant (National Independent Party) is a political party in Nepal led by Balendra Shah. Shah, previously the mayor of Kathmandu, achieved a landslide victory, becoming Prime Minister in March 2026. This marks a significant political shift, with Shah representing a new generation of leadership. The party's rise to power is newsworthy due to its challenge to the established political order and Shah's promise of political change. Currently, the party's relevance is amplified by the arrest of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Interior Minister Ramesh Lekhak, potentially linked to the violent suppression of protests in September 2025, which occurred before Shah's rise to power. This event underscores the political climate Shah's government has inherited and the challenges it faces in addressing past grievances.