Counting of votes is currently underway in Nepal as the country voted in its first general election following the violent Gen-Z-led protests that took place last year, forcing the government to step down.
As the country is set to have a government soon, former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, widely known as Balen, is being considered as one of the frontrunners to lead Nepal’s next government as the country’s Prime Minister.
While the 35-year-old leader is considered famous among youths of the country, his name has often been grabbed in several controversies. A 2025 controversial late-night Facebook post by Balen Shah has gained the limelight again in which he targeted major political parties and foreign countries.
The post was, which was later deleted, read as follows:
Go to hell, you guys all combined can do nothing."
The post mentioned several political parties, Nepali Congress, CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Centre), Rastriya Swatantra Party, and Rastriya Prajatantra Party, along with the United States, India, and China.
This was not the only time when Shah sparked a controversy; in fact, once he said that he would set fire to Singha Durbar, the seat of Nepal’s government.
Balendra Shah is considered to be a popular face among Nepal’s younger population, who is challenging Nepal’s traditional leadership in the 2026 election. After serving three years as the mayor of Kathmandu, he entered the national race to break the long-standing dominance of veteran politicians.
He rose in the national politics months after former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was forced to resign following GenZ protests. “Dear Gen Z, the resignation of your killer has come. Now your generation will have to lead the country. Be prepared," Shah had written in a message posted on social media.
He studied civil engineering in Nepal and later completed a master’s degree in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University in Karnataka, India.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
