Nepal’s new PM Balendra Shah, a man of many firsts

Kathmandu: A rapper, a structural engineer, Gen Z icon and the youngest democratically elected prime minister of Nepal, Balen Shah, a man of many firsts, created history on Friday after taking the oath to serve at the top executive post of the Himalayan nation.  The 35-year-old is also the first person from the Madhes region to become the 47th prime minister of the nation.

Balen’s unique style and ability to connect to the Gen Z of the country, which toppled the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition government in September last year in a violent protest, made him the lead runner in the election.   He defeated four-time prime minister Oli, the chair of Nepal's legacy party, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) -- CPN-UML -- by a huge margin of about 50,000 votes in Jhapa-5 constituency.

Named among the 'Top 100 Emerging Leaders of 2023' by Time magazine, Balen rose to fame while working as the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor.

He is credited with implementing sweeping reform programmes and the beautification of the metropolis.  Sudip Manandha, a young musician based in Kathmandu, who had closely watched Balen as a rapper, said, “Balen won the hearts of thousands of youths through his rap songs that usually hit the existing system in our society. He used to sing satirical songs portraying social anomalies, exposing corruption and political mismanagement.” It was perhaps this popularity that the young leader capitalised to enter politics and successfully contested the 2022 mayoral polls with his campaign slogan for 'change', targeting youngsters, most of them his followers on his social media platforms, who were getting fed up with traditional parties' musical chair politics.

No wonder, when K P Sharma Oli banned social media in Nepal in 2025, Balen was amongst the prominent voices to protest the move.

“In a city still reeling from a deadly 2015 earthquake, Shah’s campaign promises were simple but offered desperately needed fixes: better waste disposal and sanitation, safe drinking water, clean roads, and the preservation of cultural heritage alongside urban development,” the magazine said.

Naveen Manandhar, ward chairman of ward 17 in the Kathmandu Metropolis, recalled the “good governance and transparency” that Balen introduced in the Kathmandu Metropolitan City during his three-and-a-half-year tenure.

In January, he joined the newly formed RSP, led by Ravi Lamichhane, and was soon declared the party's prime ministerial candidate.

Born in Kathmandu in a family originally from Madhes province, Balen is the youngest son of Ram Narayan Shah, an Ayurved practitioner, and Dhruvadevi Shah, a homemaker. He was keen on music and poetry from a young age and turned to rap music during his education days.

After completing a Civil Engineering degree from Kathmandu, Balen did his Masters in Structural Engineering from the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka.

He married Sabina Kafle in 2018, and the couple has a 2023-born daughter.

Balen's official YouTube page (@BalenShah with 'Rapper, Lyricist, Music Composer' as his description) lists about a million subscribers.

Balen released his first single song, 'Sadak Balak', in 2012, when he was one year short of his matriculation. The very next year, he participated in a YouTube battle rap series, gaining widespread recognition across Nepal's music lovers.

He listed beautification of the capital by dismantling illegal structures, prioritising health, education and employment generation and allotting a specific number of free beds to poor people in different hospitals and health centres within the metropolis among his works.

“Apart from that, Balen introduced skill-oriented extra-curricular activities in the schools within Kathmandu metropolis. Under his leadership, the Kathmandu metropolis introduced vocational training in different areas, which benefited around 60,000 to 70,000 youths within a couple of years, helping them to get employment in different fields,” Manandhar said.

However, Balen's mayoral tenure was not without controversy. “He faced flak due to widespread demolitions in the capital. He was also accused of not sending a fire brigade when Gen Z protesters resorted to arson,” said a critique.

Identified by his signature dark goggles and black blazer, Balen also carried a small metal bell, the RSP symbol, to his rallies and used it to warn the opposition.

Immediately after he joined the RSP, Balen chose to address a public meeting, calling it a 'Parivartan Udghosh Sabha' (Change Declaration Gathering) in Janakpur and spoke in Maithili to highlight his personal connection with the Madhes province.

His party manifesto promised online government service delivery to be provided to the people and building a neutral, professional and accountable public service system by disassociating bureaucracy from politics.