Kathmandu, March 27 A rapper, a structural engineer, and a figure popular with Gen Z, Balen Shan, the youngest democratically elected prime minister of Nepal, created history on Friday after taking oath to serve as the nation's top executive.
The 35-year-old is also the first person from the Madhes region to become the 47th prime minister of the country.
Balen's unique style and ability to connect with the country's Gen Z, which had violently protested against the K P Sharma Oli-led coalition government last September, made him a strong candidate in the election.
He defeated four-time prime minister Oli, the head of Nepal's Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML), by a significant margin of around 50,000 votes in the Jhapa-5 constituency.
Named among the "Top 100 Emerging Leaders of 2023" by Time magazine, Balen gained fame while serving as the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
He is credited with implementing sweeping reforms and beautifying the metropolis.
Sudip Manandha, a young musician based in Kathmandu, who had closely followed Balen as a rapper, said, "Balen won the hearts of thousands of young people through his rap songs that often addressed existing issues in our society. He sang satirical songs exposing corruption and political mismanagement."
It was likely this popularity that enabled the young leader to enter politics and successfully contest the 2022 mayoral elections with his campaign slogan for "change," targeting young people, many of whom were his followers on social media, who were frustrated with the traditional parties' political maneuvering.
It is worth noting that when K P Sharma Oli banned social media in Nepal in 2025, Balen was one of the prominent voices protesting the move.
"In a city still recovering from the 2015 earthquake, Shah's campaign promises focused on providing essential services: better waste disposal and sanitation, safe drinking water, clean roads, and the preservation of cultural heritage alongside urban development," the magazine said.
Naveen Manandhar, ward chairman of ward 17 in the Kathmandu Metropolis, recalled the "good governance and transparency" that Balen introduced in the Kathmandu Metropolis during his three-and-a-half-year tenure.
In January, he joined the newly formed RSP, led by Ravi Lamichhane, and was soon declared the party's prime ministerial candidate.
Born in Kathmandu to a family originally from the Madhes province, Balen is the youngest son of Ram Narayan Shah, an Ayurved practitioner, and Dhruvadevi Shah, a homemaker. He developed an interest in music and poetry from a young age and began rapping during his education.
After completing a Civil Engineering degree from Kathmandu, Balen pursued his Masters in Structural Engineering at the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka.
He married Sabina Kafle in 2018, and they have a daughter born in 2023.
Balen's official YouTube page (@BalenShah with 'Rapper, Lyricist, Music Composer' as his description) has over a million subscribers.
Balen released his first single song, 'Sadak Balak', in 2012, when he was one year short of completing his matriculation. The very next year, he participated in a YouTube battle rap series, gaining widespread recognition across Nepal's music lovers.
He is credited with beautifying the capital by dismantling illegal structures, prioritizing health, education, and employment generation, and allocating specific numbers of free beds to poor people in different hospitals and health centres within the metropolis.
"Apart from that, Balen introduced skill-oriented extracurricular activities in the schools within the Kathmandu Metropolis. Under his leadership, the Kathmandu Metropolis introduced vocational training in various areas, which benefited around 60,000 to 70,000 youths within a couple of years, helping them to find employment in various fields," Manandhar said.
However, Balen's mayoral tenure was not without controversy. "He faced criticism for widespread demolitions in the capital. He was also accused of not deploying a fire brigade when Gen Z protesters resorted to arson," said a critique.
Identified by his signature dark goggles and black blazer, Balen also carried a small metal bell, the RSP symbol, to his rallies and used it to warn the opposition.
Immediately after joining the RSP, Balen addressed a public meeting in Janakpur, calling it a "Parivartan Udghosh Sabha" (Change Declaration Gathering) and spoke in Maithili to highlight his personal connection with the Madhes province.
His party manifesto promised online government service delivery and building a neutral, professional, and accountable public service system by disassociating bureaucracy from politics.