Balendra Shah, a former rapper, is poised to take the oath of office today as the youngest Prime Minister in Nepal’s history. The 35-year-old was elected as the Parliamentary leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) following a decisive victory in recent parliamentary elections. On Thursday, he was unanimously chosen by party members, thereby formally qualifying him for the nation’s top executive position, according to Shanker Shrestha, secretary of the RSP’s central organisation committee.

In addition to his election as party leader, the RSP’s central committee has authorised Shah to form a new cabinet. It is anticipated that the members of this cabinet will be announced later today. Under Shah’s leadership, the RSP achieved significant electoral success, securing 182 out of 275 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR), defeating established political parties in the process.

Historic Rise From Rap To Power

Popularly known as “Balen”, Shah’s rise has been anything but conventional. A former rapper and structural engineer, he first gained political prominence after being elected mayor of Kathmandu in 2022.

His transition from music to mainstream politics has been driven by a strong anti-establishment message, often reflected in his earlier rap lyrics that criticised corruption and governance failures.

Shah’s appeal, particularly among young voters, played a decisive role in reshaping Nepal’s political order, with many seeing him as a break from decades of traditional party dominance.

Backdrop of Elections

The elections took place against the backdrop of last year’s Gen Z protests, which called for generational change and an end to entrenched corruption. The composition of the HoR includes 165 members elected through direct voting and 110 through a proportionate representation system. Notably, Shah himself secured victory in the Jhapa-5 constituency, defeating K P Sharma Oli, a four-time prime minister and leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), by a considerable margin.

The newly elected members of the HoR took their oaths at a ceremony held at the federal parliament building. The event marked the official beginning of the government formation process, occurring three weeks after the elections concluded. Arjun Narasingha KC, the oldest member of the House at 78 years, administered the oath of office to the incoming lawmakers at the federal parliament secretariat in Singha Durbar.

Upon the completion of this oath-taking ceremony, Shah will officially become Nepal’s Prime Minister and is expected to form a cabinet consisting of 15 to 18 members. The emergence of the RSP and its considerable electoral success indicate a transformative shift in Nepalese political dynamics. Traditional parties, such as the Nepali Congress, secured only 38 seats, while the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) managed to win 25 seats, and the Nepali Communist Party was left with just 17 seats.

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