Ex-Rapper Balendra Shah Set to Become Nepal's Prime Minister
Balendra Shah's Rastriya Swatantra Party scored a landslide in the 5 March parliamentary vote after 2025 Gen Z protests toppled the old leadership.
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Overview
Balendra Shah is set to become Nepal's next prime minister after his Rastriya Swatantra Party scored a landslide in the 5 March parliamentary election.
The vote is the country's first parliamentary election since 2025 Gen Z protests sparked by a social media ban that helped topple the previous government.
Ramesh Paudyal, a senior RSP leader, called the result "the victory of hope and change," while analysts warned Shah faces daunting governance challenges and must make political deals.
RSP won roughly 103–124 of 165 directly elected seats and led in about 1–21 additional constituencies, according to differing counts.
Final results, which will allocate the remaining 110 proportional-representation seats in the 275-member House, are expected in the coming days, and Shah must convert his mandate into governance.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a populist, historic triumph by emphasizing novelty and mass emotion. They use loaded terms like "landslide" and "uprising," foreground celebratory local headlines ("RSP set for a landslide victory," "people's ballot revolt"), and highlight street imagery (garlands, red vermilion) while giving little space to policy scrutiny or opposition perspectives.
FAQ
The 2025 Gen Z protests were sparked by a social media ban that ultimately helped topple the previous government.[1] These youth-led demonstrations reflected broader frustrations with the old political order, including demands for anti-corruption measures, good governance, an end to nepotism, and generational change in political leadership.[2]
Balendra Shah, popularly known as 'Balen,' is a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician who became one of Nepal's biggest rap stars with millions of social media followers.[1] He first entered politics by winning the position of Kathmandu mayor in 2022, leveraging his popularity as a rapper.[2] He joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party in December 2025 before the parliamentary election.
The RSP secured a sweeping landslide victory, winning approximately 103-124 of the 165 directly elected seats and leading in approximately 1-21 additional constituencies, though counts vary.[1] The party achieved a clean sweep in all 15 constituencies of the three districts in Kathmandu Valley.[2] Shah personally defeated K.P. Sharma Oli, a four-time former prime minister, by a margin of approximately 50,000 votes in the Jhapa-5 constituency.[3]
Shah is expected to become **Nepal's youngest and first-ever Madhesi Prime Minister**, marking a significant shift in the country's political landscape.[1] His rise represents a generational change away from the established traditional parties like UML, CPN, and Nepali Congress that have historically dominated Nepal's politics.[2]
Final election results will allocate the remaining 110 proportional-representation seats in the 275-member House of Representatives, with results expected in the coming days following the March 5 vote.[1] Shah must then convert his electoral mandate into actual governance by forming the government and handling necessary political negotiations to secure the required parliamentary support.[2]
