Balendra Shah has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Nepal.
According to the President’s Office, Ram Chandra Paudel officially appointed him following his party’s strong victory in the recent parliamentary election.
Balen Shah leads the Rastriya Swatantra Party, which secured around two-thirds of the 275 seats in the House of Representatives — a rare and decisive majority in Nepal’s recent history.
He was selected as the party’s parliamentary leader just a day before his appointment. His oath-taking ceremony is scheduled today at 12:34 PM at Shital Niwas.
At just 35, Balen Shah’s rise reflects a major shift in Nepal’s politics, driven by public frustration with traditional parties and growing youth influence. He also made headlines by defeating former Prime Minister KP Oli in a constituency in the Madhesh region, a result widely seen as a sign of voter anger toward the established political system.
Balen, a structural engineer who gained fame as a rapper before becoming Kathmandu’s mayor in 2022, has quickly emerged as a new political force. As mayor, he drew attention for tackling issues like waste management and urban regulation, though some decisions also faced criticism.
Interestingly, just a day before his appointment, Balen released his music video “Mahakali,” which has already crossed 2.5 million views, making it one of the fastest-growing videos by a Nepali artist.
With a strong public mandate, he now faces the challenge of delivering reforms while meeting high expectations from the people.
