Balendra Shah

Balendra Shah^[a] (born 27 April 1990), popularly known as Balen,^[b] is a Nepalese politician, structural engineer, and rapper who has been serving as the Prime Minister of Nepal since 2026. He assumed the office following his party's landslide victory in the 2026 general election. At age 35, he is the world's youngest serving state leader. He previously served as the 15th Mayor of Kathmandu from 2022 to 2026, the first independent candidate to hold the position.

In the 2022 local election, Shah was elected mayor of Kathmandu. During his tenure, he introduced initiatives in waste management and traffic management. His administration also faced criticism and controversy over issues such as the demolition of illegally constructed structures, the handling of squatter settlements, and enforcement actions against street vendors.

Shah emerged as a prominent political figure during the 2025 Gen Z protests. In January 2026, he resigned as mayor of Kathmandu and joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to contest the 2026 general election as the party's prime ministerial candidate. He defeated former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli in Jhapa 5 by a landslide, leading his party to a historic majority victory.

Balendra Shah was born on 27 April 1990 in the Naradevi neighborhood of Kathmandu, into a Maithili family. He is the youngest of three siblings: his eldest sister, Sujata Shah Sejekan is a painter, and his elder brother, Kaushal Shah is a chartered accountant. His late father, Dr. Ram Narayan Shah was an Ayurvedic practitioner, while his mother, Dhruva Devi Shah is a homemaker hailing from Dhanusha District.^[1][2] His parents had moved to Kathmandu from Ekdara, Mahottari District, after his father was posted to Naradevi Ayurvedic Hospital.^[3][4][5]

Shah studied at Alliance Academy and completed his SLC there. Shah attended V.S. Niketan Higher Secondary School for his 10+2 studies. He received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in civil engineering from Himalayan WhiteHouse International College^[6] followed by a Master of Engineering in structural engineering from NITTE University, India.^[7] Shah was awarded a research fellowship for his PhD studies in civil engineering from Kathmandu University on the topic "Conservation of Newa heritage structures to promote tourism and economy."^[8][9][10]

Shah has been involved in Nepal's hip-hop scene since the early 2010s.^[11][12] He released his first single, "Sadak Balak" in 2012, that he had written back in the ninth grade, a track that reflected the hardships of urban youth and marked his entry into the Nephop (Nepali hip-hop) community.^[13] His visibility grew in 2013 when he participated in the YouTube battle rap series Raw Barz, gaining recognition within Nepal's underground hip-hop community.^[13]

Shah's music has been noted for its socially conscious themes, addressing issues such as corruption, inequality, and urban life in Nepal. A notable track is "Balidan" ('Sacrifice'), which critiqued political corruption and connected with younger audiences, becoming widely known through online platforms and contributing to his public profile ahead of his political career.^[14]

In 2025, Shah performed the song "Nepal Haseko..." for the soundtrack of the Nepali film Laaj Sharanam. The track, which he wrote, composed, and performed, was originally released on his YouTube channel and was reissued for the film's promotion. It quickly entered the YouTube trending music charts following its second release.^[15][16]

Balen Shah had been mulling over his plans for candidacy since 2020 and on 17 December 2021 announced that he would be running for the mayoral race as an independent candidate through his Facebook Page.^[17][6] His campaign focused on waste management, road traffic control, public service delivery, anti-corruption, transparency, accountability and preservation of cultural heritage of the city.^{[9][18][19][20][12]}

Shah was elected on 26 May 2022, winning 38.6% of the votes cast. He defeated Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Shrestha and former mayor and CPN (UML) candidate Keshav Sthapit by a margin of over 23,000 votes.^[21][22][23]

Shah was sworn in as mayor on 30 May 2022 and administered the oath of office to other members of the municipal assembly elected at the elections.^[24]

The main target audience for his campaign was the Newar community of Kathmandu. He appeared on various podcasts and shows and persuaded the audience to vote for him.^[22][23]

Shah's rise as a political figure is widely regarded as a continuation of the spirit of alternative politics pioneered by the late Ujwal Thapa, founder of the Bibeksheel Nepali party. Thapa, who died in June 2021 from complications related to COVID-19, had spent years building a movement that challenged Nepal's entrenched political establishment, motivated youths to enter civic life, and campaigned against corruption and social injustice.^[25] When Shah entered the 2022 mayoral race, several veterans of the Bibeksheel movement joined his campaign.^[26]

On 6 June 2022, an agreement was reached between the Ministry of Urban Development and the newly elected representatives to commence garbage disposal from 7 June and on 18 August 2022, following a four-point agreement between the locals and government officials, Shah directed private companies to handle the disposal of all uncollected solid waste.^[27]

Under Shah's administration, investments in street accessibility and cleanliness were implemented, with tactile pavements installed to allow citizens with visual impairments to navigate the city more freely. Falcha-style bus stops which are structures inspired by traditional Newari resting places were constructed across the city.^[28] New bus routes were introduced, bus stops were upgraded, and a smart ticketing system was implemented to provide a more reliable travel experience for commuters.^[29]

As one of his first acts upon taking office, Shah introduced live telecasts of municipal council meetings — the first time such proceedings were broadcast publicly in Kathmandu's history.^[30] His administration also introduced an online building permit system and implemented digital signatures to enhance efficiency and reduce opportunities for corruption.^[31]

Shah launched the "Textbook-Free Friday" programme in community schools to help students develop technical skills and engage in extracurricular activities. He also directed private schools in Kathmandu to provide scholarships to at least 10% of students, in line with existing education legislation.^[32]

Shah's administration committed Rs 90 million to establish modern operating theatres at Kanti Children's Hospital, improve outpatient services at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, and enhance coronary care at Manmohan Transplant Centre.^[33]

Shah's administration expanded programmes supporting Kathmandu's intangible cultural heritage, including the Living Kumari, Bhairav, and Ganesh traditions. Agreements were also reached with Tribhuvan University to modernise municipal services and help preserve traditional water sources known as hiti.^[34]