Nepal Election Results: The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by former rapper and Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, was ahead in vote counting on Friday in Nepal’s general elections.. The voting held on Thursday was the first poll since the violent Gen Z protests that led to the downfall of the KP Sharma Oli-led coalition government in September 2025.
The RSP is leading in 47 of the 57 constituencies, Kathmandu Post reported. Ousted premier Oli’s CPN (UML) is leading in five seats, while the Nepali Congress led by Gagan Thapa is in third position with leads in four seats.
Balendra Shah, 35, is the frontrunner to become Nepal’s next prime minister. His party, the RCP, is eyeing a landslide victory in Nepal’s historic elections.
Former underground hip-hop artist
Born in Kathmandu in 1990, Shah was a schoolboy during Nepal’s decade-long Maoist civil war. He is the youngest of four siblings. Balen’s father, Ram Narayan Shah, who passed away in December, was a government practitioner of ayurveda.
Balen graduated with a civil engineering degree from Himalayan Whitehouse International College in Kathmandu and received a postgraduate degree in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka, India, according to a report in Al Jazeera.
Nobody in Nepal or beyond knew about Balen, as Balendra Shah is popularly known, until 2013, when he became an overnight rap sensation in the Himalayan nation.
Balen Shah was the person behind Raw Barz, a soon-to-be-popular rap battle in Nepal in which two contestants face off live. Balen Shah shot to national prominence through music.
About a decade later, in May 2022, Balen left Nepal’s political circles in shock after winning the mayoral election in Kathmandu, the country’s capital. Balen was an independent candidate then. About four years later, Balen is running for prime minister of Nepal.
Over the years, Shah has cultivated an image of a young reformer who launched campaigns against tax evasion, traffic congestion and waste mismanagement in the country.
And last year in September, when Nepal erupted in Gen Z-led protests against then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Balen emerged as a symbol of youth-driven political change, after backing the protests that forced the government from power.
After Oli’s ouster, Balen was said to be the first choice among many Gen Z activists to serve as interim leader. Balen, however, chose to support former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki for the post. Balen, perhaps, wanted a mandate.
‘Your generation will have to lead the country’
“Dear Gen Z, the resignation of your killer has come,” Balendra Shah said in a message to his followers after the Gen Z uprising killed 77 people and forced Oli to resign.
“Now your generation will have to lead the country. Be prepared,” he said.
Two months later, Balen Shah joined the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party, positioning himself for national leadership.
At 35, Balen Shah is challenging veteran politician and former prime minister Oli in his home constituency – Jhapa 5 seat in eastern Nepal.
The Jhapa 5 seat, one of the five seats in Jhapa district, has become one of the most closely watched battles of the 2026 election because it symbolizes the clash between Nepal’s old political establishment, Oli and a Gen-Z-backed Balen Shah.
Shah told AFP before the election that it shows he is “not taking the easy way out”.
‘I want to see Nepal smiling’
Advocating a liberal economic system with social justice, including free education and healthcare for the poor, Shah says Gen Z’s core demand is good governance – and insists music will remain part of his identity, even if he becomes prime minister, news agency AFP said.
Balen Shah’s songs mock political parties, criticize corruption and talk of the sacrifices of everyday Nepalis. The tracks have been popular among Nepal’s Gen Z.
One song, Nepal Haseko (Nepal Smiling), became an anthem during last year’s protests, and already has more than 10 million views on YouTube, according to an Al Jazeera report. In the song, children sing in the chorus: “I want to see Nepal smiling; I want to see Nepalis living happily.”
‘Headed to Balen’s city’
While the final results may take some time, many analysts have spoken highly of Balen Shah’s rising popularity.
“Balen Shah is so popular that now buses coming to Kathmandu have stickers on them saying, ‘Headed to Balen’s city'”, Bipin Adhikari, a constitutional law expert who teaches at Kathmandu University, told Reuters.
For decades, Nepal’s political landscape has been dominated by veteran leaders — many of them former Maoist insurgents — who have taken turns in power since the end of the 10-year civil war in 2006.
Balen Shah’s victory could mark a watershed moment in the Himalayan nation of 30 million people wedged between China and India. The RSP, which Balen represents, is a centrist newcomer outfit which has said in its election manifesto that it will maintain “balanced foreign relations” with its giant neighbours.
Popular Mayor with a passion for cars
As Kathmandu Mayor, Balen Shah is credited with work focused on improving the urban infrastructure, such as waste management, and ensuring the delivery of services like healthcare.
Balen Shah has also faced criticism, including from Human Rights Watch, for allegedly using police to seize the properties of street vendors and landless people, Reuters said.
Balen Shah’s passion for cars also landed him in controversy. He was seen driving an expensive Land Rover Defender worth 40 million Nepali rupees ($275,000) in January 2026, while campaigning in Jhapa 5, the seat he is fighting for. He faced criticism for the alleged lack of transparency over the vehicle’s ownership and use.
(With inputs from Reuters, AFP and Al Jazeera)
Key Takeaways
- Balen Shah’s rise reflects a significant shift in Nepal’s political dynamics, driven by youth activism.
- His dual identity as a musician and politician appeals to a younger electorate eager for change.
- The recent elections signify a potential break from traditional political leadership in Nepal.
