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Rapper-politician & Gen-Z favourite: Who is Balen, frontrunner for Nepal PM?
Rapper, politician and a Gen-Z favourite: Who is Balen Shah, frontrunner for Nepal PM post?
Rapper, politician and a Gen-Z favourite: Who is Balen Shah, frontrunner for Nepal PM post?
Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, is contesting for the post of prime minister after serving three years as the mayor of Kathmandu.
Updated on: Mar 05, 2026 11:57 AM IST By Aryan Mudgal Share via Copy link Nepal took to the polls on Thursday in the first general election since a Gen Z-led uprising in September last year forced then-prime minister KP Sharma Oli to resign. A fresh group of young candidates has entered the race, aiming to challenge the long-standing hold on power of veteran leaders in the Himalayan nation, including rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah. Balendra Shah, who has strong support among Nepal’s Gen Z, is seen as the frontrunner for the prime minister’s post (AFP) The 35-year-old, who is popular among Nepal’s Gen Z, is seen as the frontrunner for the prime minister’s post. In a message shared to his millions of followers on social media after the historic uprising that led to Oli’s ouster, he wrote, “Dear Gen Z, the resignation of your killer has come. Now your generation will have to lead the country. Be prepared.” Follow Nepal election live updates here. ALSO READ | How social media bans led to Gen-Z revolution that toppled govt: A 2025 recap as Nepal goes to pollsWho is Balendra Shah?
Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, is contesting for the post of prime minister after serving three years as the mayor of Kathmandu. His party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), finished fourth in the 2022 general election. Five months after the uprising, the musician who began his political career after becoming mayor of Kathmandu is now leading the race to become Nepal's next prime minister. Born to a father who practised traditional Ayurvedic medicine and a homemaker mother, Shah showed interest in poetry from a young age. This later turned into a passion for rap music. He was inspired by several American artists, including Tupac Shakur and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, an aide told news agency Reuters. After completing an undergraduate degree in civil engineering in Nepal, Shah pursued a master's degree in structural engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka. By then, he had already become a well-known rapper in his country.From rapper to politician
His songs often targeted Nepal's ruling class and connected with many people in a country where around 20% of the 30 million population lives in severe poverty. One of Shah's most recognised songs, "Balidan" (sacrifice), was released in 2019 and has received more than 12 million views on YouTube. The rapper officially entered politics when he contested the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent candidate, using the campaign slogan "Time for change." He won the election by a large margin. During his time as mayor, rights groups criticised him for using police in a heavy-handed way against street vendors as he tried to keep roads clear in the capital and act against unlicensed businesses, BBC reported. Unlike much of Nepal's political leadership, which is dominated by older politicians, Shah generally avoids the mainstream press. Instead, he connects directly with young Nepalis through social media. He has more than 3.5 million followers on platforms such as Facebook. ALSO READ | 275 seats, 18.9 million voters and future at stake in Nepal’s first elections after Gen-Z uprisingFrontrunner for PM post
In December last year, Shah joined the RSP, led by former television host-turned-politician Rabi Lamichhane, as the party's candidate for prime minister. In its manifesto, the party has promised to create 1.2 million jobs and reduce forced migration in a move to address frustration over unemployment and low wages that have pushed millions of Nepalis to seek work abroad. The party has also promised to increase Nepal's per capita income from $1,447 to $3,000, more than double the country's economy to $100 billion in GDP, and introduce safety measures such as universal healthcare insurance within five years. In recent weeks, Shah's Facebook page has featured a carefully arranged set of photos from his campaign trail, usually showing him wearing his trademark dark sunglasses and a beard. He also faced backlash over his passion for cars after a video shared online showed him driving a Land Rover Defender worth 40 million Nepali rupees ($275,000) in January during campaigning in Jhapa 5, Al Jazeera reported. He is contesting from the Jhapa 5 constituency. With inputs from agencies ABOUT THE AUTHOR Aryan Mudgal Aryan Mudgal is a Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly three years of experience. He is part of the digital news team at HT and enjoys covering day-to-day news and writing long, detailed explainers on key national and global affairs. He takes particular interest in reading and writing about Indian politics, crime, civic issues, as well as global affairs. He goes berserk when covering elections, especially Lok Sabha and assembly polls, and always looks out for fresh stories that could intrigue readers. At Hindustan Times, Aryan has covered various major events, including the Bihar assembly elections, Maharashtra civic polls, the US' military action in Venezuela, Union Budget, and Bangladesh elections. He has previously worked with the explainers team at Firstpost and the news desk at Times Network, covering a range of events including the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Israel–Hamas war, Russia-Ukraine war, Bangladesh’s student protests and Sheikh Hasina’s ouster, Delhi assembly elections, and more. He completed his bachelor’s degree in CEP (Communications & Media, English, and Psychology) from Christ University, Bengaluru, and later pursued a postgraduate diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC). He hails from Siliguri in West Bengal and enjoys reading about politics and day-to-day issues concerning the state. Outside of work, Aryan loves listening to music and enjoys rewatching his favourite comfort shows.Read More Nepal Nepal Elections Kathmandu Get the latest headlines from US news and global updates from Pakistan, Nepal, UK, Bangladesh, Russia, and Bangladesh election result 2026 LIVE get all the latest headlines in one place on Hindustan Times. News / World News / Rapper, Politician And A Gen-Z Favourite: Who Is Balen Shah, Frontrunner For Nepal PM Post? See LessNepal took to the polls on Thursday in the first general election since a Gen Z-led uprising in September last year forced then-prime minister KP Sharma Oli to resign. A fresh group of young candidates has entered the race, aiming to challenge the long-standing hold on power of veteran leaders in the Himalayan nation, including rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah.
The 35-year-old, who is popular among Nepal’s Gen Z, is seen as the frontrunner for the prime minister’s post. In a message shared to his millions of followers on social media after the historic uprising that led to Oli’s ouster, he wrote, “Dear Gen Z, the resignation of your killer has come. Now your generation will have to lead the country. Be prepared.” Follow Nepal election live updates here.
ALSO READ | How social media bans led to Gen-Z revolution that toppled govt: A 2025 recap as Nepal goes to polls
Five months after the uprising, the musician who began his political career after becoming mayor of Kathmandu is now leading the race to become Nepal's next prime minister.
Born to a father who practised traditional Ayurvedic medicine and a homemaker mother, Shah showed interest in poetry from a young age. This later turned into a passion for rap music. He was inspired by several American artists, including Tupac Shakur and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, an aide told news agency Reuters.
After completing an undergraduate degree in civil engineering in Nepal, Shah pursued a master's degree in structural engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka. By then, he had already become a well-known rapper in his country.
One of Shah's most recognised songs, "Balidan" (sacrifice), was released in 2019 and has received more than 12 million views on YouTube.
The rapper officially entered politics when he contested the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent candidate, using the campaign slogan "Time for change." He won the election by a large margin.
During his time as mayor, rights groups criticised him for using police in a heavy-handed way against street vendors as he tried to keep roads clear in the capital and act against unlicensed businesses, BBC reported.
Unlike much of Nepal's political leadership, which is dominated by older politicians, Shah generally avoids the mainstream press. Instead, he connects directly with young Nepalis through social media. He has more than 3.5 million followers on platforms such as Facebook.
ALSO READ | 275 seats, 18.9 million voters and future at stake in Nepal’s first elections after Gen-Z uprising
In its manifesto, the party has promised to create 1.2 million jobs and reduce forced migration in a move to address frustration over unemployment and low wages that have pushed millions of Nepalis to seek work abroad.
The party has also promised to increase Nepal's per capita income from $1,447 to $3,000, more than double the country's economy to $100 billion in GDP, and introduce safety measures such as universal healthcare insurance within five years.
In recent weeks, Shah's Facebook page has featured a carefully arranged set of photos from his campaign trail, usually showing him wearing his trademark dark sunglasses and a beard.
He also faced backlash over his passion for cars after a video shared online showed him driving a Land Rover Defender worth 40 million Nepali rupees ($275,000) in January during campaigning in Jhapa 5, Al Jazeera reported.
He is contesting from the Jhapa 5 constituency.
With inputs from agencies
Source: HindustanTimes
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