Balendra Shah, the former Kathmandu mayor, who will turn 36 next month, is contesting theparliamentary electionsfrom Jhapa-5 against KP Sharma Oli, 74, the four-time former prime minister who resigned five months ago following youth-led protests that left 77 people dead.
Balen is contesting the elections from the Gen-Z backed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The election is Nepal’s first nationwide vote since the September 2025 Gen Z-led protests that forced the resignation of Oli’s government after weeks of unrest. Counting began late Thursday night and is expected to continue through Friday.
When Balen takes the stage, his supporters often mirror his look, wearing black shirts and dark sunglasses. He rarely removes his own shades, but when he does, he tells the crowd, “Look at me. I love you."
Who Is Balen Shah? Engineer, Rapper Or Mayor
Balen was born in Kathmandu, the youngest of four siblings. His father, Ram Narayan Shah, a government Ayurveda practitioner who passed away last December, described him as “bright and simple," a child who wrote poems—a passion he kept into adulthood.
Balen studied civil engineering in Kathmandu and later completed postgraduate studies in structural engineering in India, with an early life marked more by discipline than disruption.
In 2013, Balen made his mark on Raw Barz, Nepal’s premier rap battle stage, and emerged victorious. His lyrics were sharp and uncompromising, critiquing corruption, political stagnation, and the concentration of power. “More than a rapper, he was a poet," one organiser said. “He spoke for the oppressed."
In 2022, running as an independent, Balen won the Kathmandu mayoralty with 61,767 votes, defeating nominees from established parties.
Balen’s music reached far beyond the underground. On a Discord forum last September, where young protesters debated leadership after Oli’s resignation, his name appeared over 16,000 times, making him the most discussed figure.
Many Gen Z activists viewed him as their preferred successor, though he declined and publicly endorsed former Supreme Court chief justice Sushila Karki. Balen largely built his following online, amassing millions of followers across social media platforms.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
