From rapper to Prime Minister? Former musician emerges as contender in Nepal elections
A former rapper could becomeNepal’s next prime minister as the country holds its first general election since last year’s youth-led uprising, with 35-year-old Balendra Shah emerging as one of the most closely watched candidates, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Shah, widely known by his stage name “Balen,” first gained national recognition as a rapper before transitioning into politics. In recent years, he rose to prominence after being elected mayor of Kathmandu, the country’s capital, building a reputation among younger voters as an outsider challenging Nepal’s traditional political establishment.
Now the former musician is seeking a far bigger role in government. Shah is running with the backing of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), a political movement founded just three years ago that has quickly gained support among younger voters. His campaign focuses largely on anti-corruption reforms and promises to reshape the country’s political system.
The election marks a major political moment for the Himalayan nation following the mass protests that erupted in 2025. The demonstrations, widely referred to as the “Gen Z revolution,” were driven largely by young activists frustrated with corruption, economic inequality and long-standing political instability.
Notably, many of the same young voters who participated in the protests are now backing Shah’s campaign, seeing the former rapper as a symbol of generational change in Nepali politics.
