<figure id="attachment_3279153" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3279153" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-3279153" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/0d03cc95-nepal-election-balendra-afp-10_02_26.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3279153" class="wp-caption-text">Kathmandu&#8217;s former mayor Balendra Shah (left) and Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) party chairman Rabi Lamichhane together raise their arms during a campaign rally in Janakpur. (AFP pic)
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KATMANDU: Nepal&#8217;s rapper-turned-mayor Balendra Shah is preparing for the biggest fight of his political life &#8212; a head-to-head battle with veteran leader KP Sharma Oli in the former prime minister&#8217;s own constituency.
Better known as Balen, the sharply dressed 35-year-old has emerged as a symbol of youth-driven political change after backing the mass anti-corruption protests that toppled Oli&#8217;s Marxist-led government last year.
Born in Kathmandu in 1990, he was a schoolboy during Nepal&#8217;s decade-long Maoist civil war between 1996 and 2006, which killed thousands and eventually ended the monarchy.
Trained as a civil engineer, he first gained national attention through Nepal&#8217;s underground hip-hop scene, releasing songs that railed against corruption and inequality.
Those themes, he says, still guide his politics, as he readies for March 5 elections in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people.
&#8220;If a person involved in politics also engages in literature or music, it becomes emotionally driven,&#8221; Shah told AFP during his campaign.
&#8220;We also need to nurture the emotional aspect of our lives, and a politician should possess that sensitivity.&#8221;
His music, which has drawn millions of views online, helped him cultivate a devoted following on social media &#8212; a platform he continues to favour over traditional media for communicating with supporters.
That popularity translated into a political shock in 2022, when Shah became the first independent candidate elected mayor of Kathmandu, stunning Nepal&#8217;s entrenched political establishment.
As mayor, he built a reputation as a blunt, often confrontational reformer, launching campaigns against tax evasion, traffic congestion and mismanagement of city waste.
But his tenure also attracted criticism for heavy-handed enforcement and for bypassing journalists in favour of broadcasting directly to millions of followers online.
In January, Shah resigned as mayor to contest in general elections &#8212; the first since mass protests last September overthrew Oli, a 73-year-old Marxist leader and four-time prime minister.
Rather than running from his Kathmandu base, Shah chose to directly challenge Oli in Jhapa-5, a largely rural constituency around 300 kilometres (185 miles) southeast of the capital.
&#8220;Contesting against a major figure&#8230; signals that I am not taking the easy way out,&#8221; Shah added.
&#8220;It demonstrates that, despite the problems or betrayals that have affected the country, we are moving towards addressing them&#8221;.
In December, Shah joined the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by television host Rabi Lamichhane.
RSP, which became parliament&#8217;s fourth-largest force in the last elections in 2022, challenged parties that had dominated Nepal since the end of its civil war.
If the party secures a parliamentary majority, Shah would become prime minister.
&#8220;We share the same ideology,&#8221; Shah said, describing a vision of &#8220;a liberal economic system with social justice,&#8221; including free education and healthcare for the poor.
Shah emerged as a central figure during the September protests, which were initially sparked by anger over a brief ban on social media platforms, under a loose &#8220;Gen Z&#8221; banner.
But they quickly grew into a broader movement against corruption and economic stagnation. At least 77 people were killed during the unrest.
&#8220;Gen Z&#8217;s number one demand is good governance, because there is a high level of corruption in the country,&#8221; Shah said.
Despite his political ambitions, he insists music will remain part of his identity.
&#8220;Music is a medium to express oneself,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I will continue it, even if I am elected as prime minister.&#8221;

MatchPoint Times

Nepal’s rapper-turned-mayor challenges veteran leader

Balendra Shah has become a symbol of youth-led political change after supporting mass anti-corruption protests that toppled the Marxist-led government last year.

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