7.3.2026
Rapper turned politician Balendra Shah, is in frame to become Nepal’s new prime minister, following his Rastriya Swatantra Party’s (RSP) strong showing in the crucial general elections, official results showed on Saturday.
Popularly known as Balen, he defeated ousted Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in his home constituency, the eastern district of Jhapa, securing 68,348 votes out of the total 106,372 votes cast.
Oli secured 18,734 votes, according to official results. Balen, 35, had resigned from the Kathmandu mayoral position to contest the election against Oli.
In 2022, structural engineer Balen was elected mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City on an independent ticket, defeating heavyweights from major political parties. To test his popularity, the RSP named him as the new prime ministerial candidate.
Nepal held general elections on Thursday to elect 275 members of the House of Representatives, with approximately 60 percent of voters casting their ballots. The general elections were held for the first time since the GenZ inspired mass protests overthrew then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s government.
A party, or a coalition, needs a simple majority of 138 seats to form a government.
Oli’s government was ousted last September at the peak of mass protests, which left 77 people dead. He has sent his congratulations to Balen on his victory. TRT World