Nepal’s Ex-Rapper Balen to Seek PM Role After Youth Protests

In a surprising political move ahead of Nepal’s March parliamentary elections, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, widely known as rapper Balen, has joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by former TV host Rabi Lamichhane.

Under the alliance, 35-year-old Balen is set to become prime minister if RSP wins the elections, while Lamichhane will continue as party chief, officials said.

The duo has pledged to act on demands raised during the youth-led “Gen Z” protests against corruption in September, which left 77 people dead and led to the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Political analyst Bipin Adhikari called the move “smart and strategic,” noting that traditional parties may struggle to retain young voters drawn to RSP.

The election commission estimates nearly 19 million of Nepal’s 30 million citizens are eligible to vote, with around one million new, mostly young, voters added after the protests.

Balen, who gained national prominence as an undeclared leader of the youth protests, also played a role in forming the interim government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki to oversee elections.

The move poses a major challenge to Nepal’s long-dominant parties, the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) and the centrist Nepali Congress, which have shared power for over three decades.