Kathmandu: After K.P. Sharma Oli’s resignation as Nepal Prime Minister, one name keeps coming up to fill the power vacuum—that of Balendra Shah or Balen, the 35-year-old Mayor of Kathmandu. Both on the streets of Kathmandu and on social media platforms, locals are demanding that he take the country forward.
“He’s done a fairly good job as mayor, as an independent and won on his own merit,” Tenzing, a 34-year-old Kathmandu resident, told ThePrint. “He also doesn’t have any party affiliation so that’s why people like him a lot.”
Balen rose to political prominence when he was elected the 15th Mayor of Kathmandu in 2022, winning the election as an independent. It was the first time since 1989 that a candidate not affiliated to any political party had won the post.
But even before he became mayor, Balen was well known among the country’s youth as a talented rapper. His songs strayed away from mainstream hip hop, focusing on social themes ranging from corruption and youth frustration to national pride and social justice.
Now, as Nepal goes through a political transition, Balen’s name is being chorused—if not to lead the country as prime minister—then at least to help the nation make a smooth transition.
The political crisis in Nepal followed days of mass demonstrations by youth, protesting against economic disparity and alleged corruption in the government. The protests had initially begun against a government ban on social media and thereafter expanded into a larger public campaign.
When protesters set ablaze buildings and vehicles and damaged public property, Balen took to Facebook to address his supporters.
“Dear Gen Z, your murderer has resigned. Be restrained now,” he wrote in a post that gained close to 6 lakh likes and 75,000 comments. “The loss of the country’s money is the loss of you and our property. Now your generation will have to lead the country.”
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Why Balen?
Balen studied structural engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University in Karnataka before turning to rap. His earliest video, Sadak Balak (street kid), was released 12 years ago on his YouTube channel.
The song highlights the plight of children living on the streets of Kathmandu, capturing their struggle with poverty, hunger and neglect from the political class.
The video of his most popular song, Balidan (sacrifice), has 11 million views. Unlike Sadak Balak, Balen is front and centre in the video, rapping about the sacrifices of Nepalis who fought for justice. The song blends nationalism with a call to the youth, urging them to continue the struggle against corruption and inequality.
But it’s not the smart lyrics, a successful rap career or his charisma that have gained him supporters. It’s what he has done during his short time as mayor that has left the youth impressed.
“He has improved urban mobility in the city,” said a doctor at the Civil Hospital in Kathmandu. “Traffic lights, footpaths, roadways, all of these have been made better under his tenure.”
Balen ran on a campaign of urban development: better waste disposal, sanitation and clean drinking water. While his efforts to demolish illegal structures and evict vendors were met with some resistance, his tenure as mayor was mostly well received.
In 2023, he was included in Time’s list of 100 most influential people.
“At least, he is trying. We are not expecting miracles in a short period of time,” said one protester outside the charred remains of Nepal’s parliament building, helping clean up the debris from the destruction.
“Balen cares about the youth, about jobs for them. That’s why we want to bring him to power.”
Balen’s social media pages are filled with admiration from his supporters. His latest posts have been inundated with comments asking him to “take the lead” and “Balen for prime minister”.
In June, Balen promoted the Kathmandu Metropolitan Skill Fair, an effort to get the city’s youth employable by providing free skills training across 37 professions. In another post, he announced the use of falchas—a traditional Newari public rest house—as bus stops.
“He doesn’t do many interviews. Everything he wants to say, he will put it forth on social media. And within minutes, thousands of people will comment,” said a Kathmandu-based journalist who has been tracking Balen’s rise to power. “Even in this protest, he will not take the lead just by himself.”
Often caught in public wearing a blazer, sunglasses and his now well-recognised beard, Balen is the first name on people’s minds as capable of leading Nepal through a transition. But many recognise that just one person cannot bring about substantial change in the country.
“He is young and lacks experience,” said one protester, adding that he accepts Balen has done a good job as mayor, but running a country is a whole different thing.
“We cannot move Nepal forward with just one man. We need many educated, young leaders at different governance levels,” he told ThePrint.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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