Rapper turned politician Balen Shah poised to become Nepal’s youngest PM

One of the biggest political stories emerging from India’s neighbourhood is unfolding in Nepal, where a dramatic election result has pushed 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah , popularly known as Balen, to the brink of national leadership. His party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) , has delivered a stunning performance in the country’s parliamentary elections and is expected to form the next government.

Nepal’s 275-member House of Representatives is elected through a mixed system, with 165 lawmakers chosen through direct voting and 110 through proportional representation . According to the Election Commission of Nepal , the RSP secured 72 of the first 90 declared seats and was leading in many more constituencies, placing it in a commanding position in the race to form the government.

At the centre of this political surge is Shah, a structural engineer who first gained recognition as a hip-hop artist before stepping into public life. He rose to national prominence in 2022 after winning the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent candidate on a platform focused on transparency, anti-corruption measures and urban governance reforms. His strong appeal among young voters and effective use of social media helped him build a nationwide following.

In the latest election, Shah contested from Jhapa-5 constituency , where he defeated veteran leader and four-time prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) by a margin of nearly 50,000 votes , securing 68,348 votes against Oli’s 18,734 .

If the final results confirm the trend, Shah could soon be invited to form the government and take the oath of office, potentially becoming the youngest prime minister in Nepal’s history . Political observers say the RSP’s rise reflects growing public frustration with established parties and a strong demand for generational change, accountability and cleaner governance in the Himalayan nation.