US EditionOn veteran rival's turf, Nepal's rapper-turned-leader takes a swing at power
Balen Shah, backed by youth protest momentum, challenges veteran KP Sharma Oli in Jhapa-5, aiming to address corruption and 20.6% youth unemployment, says World Bank.
- On March 5, 2026, Balendra Shah, the Rastriya Swatantra Party's prime ministerial candidate, is contesting Jhapa-5 against former prime minister KP Sharma Oli, in a high-stakes race.
- Last September, youth-led protests sparked by a social media ban and economic anger left 77 dead, with protest songs and social media momentum boosting Balen's rise.
- He won the Kathmandu mayoralty with 61,767 votes, defeating opponents who received 38,341 and 38,117 votes; he also has 3.5 million Facebook followers and nearly 1 million YouTube subscribers.
- If he wins, it would end decades of elite reshuffling and test whether young Nepalis can install new leaders, but success depends on experienced officials tackling corruption, analysts warn.
- Controversies include critics highlighting a Land Rover Defender worth 40 million Nepali rupees, accusations by human rights groups over police use, and concerns about his maturity due to volatile rhetoric.
10 Articles
10 Articles
Nepal's rapper-mayor in pole position to become prime minister
KATHMANDU: After Nepal's historic youth-led uprising last September killed 77 people and forced then-Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli to resign, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician posted a typically terse message to millions of followers on social media.
At India’s border, Nepal’s former Prime Minister Oli takes on formidable Gen Z icon on March 5
At India’s border, Nepal’s former Prime Minister Oli takes on formidable Gen Z icon on March 5 Jhapa (Nepal): Nepal’s Jhapa-5 constituency, lying close to the India border, is bustling with activity this Monday, but if elections are about blaring loudspeakers, street corner meetings, and aggressive street marches, the hullabaloo is comparatively less hours before […] The post At India’s border, Nepal’s former Prime Minister Oli takes on formida…
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