Ex-rapper enters PM race as youth alliance shakes Nepal politics
Nepal’s political landscape is set for a major shake-up after rapper-turned-Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah widely known as Balen, agreed to run for prime minister under a new alliance ahead of the March 5 parliamentary elections, party officials and analysts said on Monday.
Balen, 35, has joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by former television presenter Rabi Lamichhane, in a pact aimed at challenging the traditional parties that have dominated Nepal’s politics for more than 30 years. Under the agreement, Balen will be the RSP’s candidate for prime minister if the party secures a parliamentary majority, while Lamichhane will continue as party president.
The alliance seeks to capitalise on widespread public anger following youth-led 'Gen Z' protests in September against corruption, poor governance and political patronage. The unrest, which left at least 77 people dead, ultimately forced then prime minister KP Sharma Oli to resign and led to the formation of an interim government to oversee the elections.
Political analyst Bipin Adhikari described the move as a calculated strategy to mobilise young voters. He said established parties are increasingly concerned about losing their traditional support base as younger voters gravitate toward alternatives promising reform and accountability.
Election Commission data show nearly 19 million of Nepal’s 30 million people are eligible to vote, with close to one million new voters—mostly youths—added to the rolls since the protests. Balen emerged as a prominent figure during the demonstrations and was widely seen as an informal leader of the movement.
Nepal’s two dominant forces—the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) and the Nepali Congress—have alternated in power for decades. Analysts say the Balen-RSP alliance now poses the most serious electoral challenge they have faced in years, particularly in urban constituencies and among first-time voters.
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