Balen Shah facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Right Honourable Balen Shah
बालेन शाह
Shah in 2026
Prime Minister of Nepal
Incumbent
Assumed office 27 March 2026
President	Ram Chandra Paudel
Preceded by	Sushila Karki (interim)
Member of Parliament, Pratinidhi Sabha
Incumbent
Assumed office 26 March 2026
Preceded by	K. P. Sharma Oli
Constituency	Jhapa 5
15th Mayor of Kathmandu
In office 30 May 2022 – 18 January 2026
Deputy	Sunita Dangol
Preceded by	Bidya Sundar Shakya
Succeeded by	Sunita Dangol (acting)
Personal details
Born	Balendra Shah (1990-04-27) 27 April 1990 (age 35) Kathmandu, Kingdom of Nepal
Political party	Rastriya Swatantra Party (2025–present)
Spouse	Sabina Kafle ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	1
Parents	Ram Narayan Shah Dhruvadevi Shah
Alma mater	Himalayan WhiteHouse International College (BE) Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Karnataka, India (M.Tech)
Profession	Politician Rapper Structural engineer
Signature

Balendra Shah (born 27 April 1990), often called Balen, is a politician and rapper from Nepal. He became the Prime Minister of Nepal on 27 March 2026. This happened after his party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, won a big victory in the 2026 Nepalese general election.

Before becoming Prime Minister, Balen Shah was the 15th Mayor of Kathmandu. He served as mayor from 2022 to 2026. He was the first independent candidate to win this important role. As mayor, he started new projects for waste management and traffic management in the city. He also became well-known during the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests. In January 2026, he left his mayor position to run for Prime Minister. He won against former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli in his constituency.

Early Life and Education

Balendra Shah was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, on 27 April 1990. He grew up in the Naradevi area. His family belongs to the Maithili and Madheshi people groups. He is the youngest of four children.

His father, Ramnarayan Shah, was an Ayurvedic doctor. His mother, Dhruvadevi Shah, came from the Dhanusha District. His parents moved to Kathmandu when his father started working at Naradevi Ayurvedic Hospital.

Balen Shah finished his school studies at Alliance Academy. He then went to V.S. Niketan Higher Secondary School. He earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Himalayan WhiteHouse International College. Later, he received a master's degree in structural engineering. He studied at Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology in India. He also received a special fellowship for his PhD studies at Kathmandu University. His research focused on protecting old Newa buildings to help tourism and the economy.

Music Career

Balen Shah has been a part of Nepal's hip-hop music scene since the early 2010s. In 2012, he released his first song, 'Sadak Balak'. He wrote this song when he was in ninth grade. It talked about the challenges faced by young people in cities. This song helped him join the Nephop community, which is Nepali hip-hop.

He became more famous in 2013. He took part in a YouTube rap competition called Raw Barz. This helped him become known in Nepal's underground hip-hop world. Balen Shah's music often talks about important social topics. He sings about fairness and city life in Nepal. One of his well-known songs is 'Balidan' (meaning 'Sacrifice'). This song connected with many young people online. It helped him become a public figure before he started his political career.

In 2025, Balen Shah sang 'Nepal Haseko...' for a Nepali movie called Laaj Sharanam. He wrote, composed, and performed this song. It was first released on his YouTube channel. Later, it was re-released to promote the film. The song quickly became popular on YouTube's music charts.

Mayor of Kathmandu (2022–2026)

Balen Shah in 2022

Balen Shah ran for mayor of Kathmandu with promises to fight corruption. He also promised to make the government more open and responsible. His campaign especially reached out to the Newar community in Kathmandu. He spoke on many online shows and convinced people to vote for him.

In the 2022 election, Balen Shah won the mayoral race. He defeated candidates from the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML). Many people saw his success as a continuation of a movement for new kinds of politics. This movement was started by Ujjwal Thapa, who encouraged young people to get involved in public life.

City Improvements and Services

Balen Shah's team worked on improving city services. They made agreements to handle garbage disposal more effectively. This helped keep the city cleaner.

They also made streets better for everyone. New tactile pavements were installed to help people with visual impairments. Bus stops were built in a traditional Newari style. New bus routes and a smart ticketing system made travel easier for commuters.

Open Government

When he became mayor, Balen Shah made city council meetings public. These meetings were broadcast live for the first time in Kathmandu's history. His administration also started an online system for building permits. They used digital signatures to make processes faster and reduce corruption.

Education Initiatives

Balen Shah launched a "Textbook-Free Friday" program in community schools. This program helped students learn technical skills. It also encouraged them to join other fun activities. He also asked private schools to offer scholarships to at least 10% of their students. This followed existing education laws.

Healthcare Support

His administration provided money to improve healthcare. They helped Kanti Children's Hospital get modern operating rooms. They also improved services at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. Support was also given to Manmohan Transplant Centre for heart care.

Protecting Culture

Balen Shah at a Kathmandu Trash Collection Race Program in 2022

Balen Shah's team expanded programs to protect Kathmandu's cultural heritage. This included supporting the Living Kumari and other traditions. They also worked with Tribhuvan University to modernize city services. This included efforts to preserve traditional water sources called hiti.

Urban Planning and Public Spaces

In 2022, Mayor Shah began efforts to manage urban development. He aimed to clear structures built illegally on public land. This included commercial buildings in busy areas. The city gave notices to businesses before taking action. These actions were meant to improve public spaces and city order.

He also worked to uncover parts of the Tukucha River. This river had been built over in the past. He started to reveal the river beneath some buildings. However, a court order temporarily stopped further work. The court later decided that the Tukucha was a river that needed protection. It also said that private property rights needed to be respected.

The city government also worked to manage street vendors. These actions sometimes led to protests from vendors and activists. They asked the city to provide other options for vendors. An agreement was later reached to create a plan for street vendors. This included temporary permits for certain areas and times.

Discussions and Decisions

During his time as mayor, Balen Shah made some decisions that led to public discussions. In June 2023, he displayed a map in his office known as the 'Greater Nepal' map. This map showed historical territories that were once part of Nepal. This action led to discussions with neighboring countries.

He also temporarily banned Indian films in Kathmandu in June 2023. This was due to a dialogue in a film that caused cultural disagreement in Nepal. A court later ordered him to lift the ban.

Prime Minister (2026–Present)

2026 General Election

On 28 December 2025, Balen Shah officially joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). He resigned as Mayor of Kathmandu on 18 January 2026. He then ran as the party's candidate for Prime Minister in the 2026 Nepalese general election. His joining brought new energy to the RSP.

Political experts believed Shah's involvement greatly helped the RSP. The party's plan included promises to fight corruption and improve government. It aimed to meet the hopes of young people, known as Gen Z.

Balen Shah quickly became the main public face of the RSP. He used a kind and welcoming approach in his campaigns. This helped him gain wide support across Nepal. His rallies attracted many young Nepalis, women, and people from Madheshi communities.

Shah started his election campaign for the RSP in Janakpur on 19 January 2026. He presented himself as a son of Madhesh. He chose to run in the Jhapa-5 area. There, he directly challenged former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli. This contest drew national attention.

In the general election on 5 March 2026, the RSP became a leading force. They led in many constituencies. This success was largely due to the public excitement Balen Shah created. In Jhapa-5, Shah defeated Oli with a large number of votes.

Appointment

As the leader of the party with the most seats in the Pratinidhi Sabha, Balen Shah was appointed Prime Minister. This happened on 27 March 2026. He chose his cabinet members just before being officially appointed by the President of Nepal.

Personal Life

Balen Shah at a Buddhist memorial in Pokhara in 2025

Balen Shah is married to Sabina Kafle. She works as a public health professional. They live with their daughter in Gairigaun, Tinkune.

Electoral History

2022 Kathmandu Mayoral Election

Balen Shah thought about running for mayor since 2020. On 17 December 2021, he announced his candidacy as an independent. His campaign focused on waste management, road traffic control, and public service. He also promised to fight corruption and protect the city's cultural heritage.

Shah won the election on 26 May 2022. He received 38.6% of the votes. He defeated candidates from the Nepali Congress and the CPN (UML). He won by more than 23,000 votes.

Balen Shah became mayor on 30 May 2022. He also swore in other members of the city assembly.

2026 Jhapa-5 Parliamentary Election

After his term as Mayor of Kathmandu, Shah resigned in January 2026. He joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). He became their candidate for Prime Minister in the 2026 Nepalese general election. Shah chose to run in Jhapa Constituency No. 5. He directly challenged former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli there. Oli had held this seat in most elections since 2008.

Shah was officially elected to the House of Representatives from Jhapa-5 on 7 March 2026. He received his victory certificate the same day. The Election Commission of Nepal announced the final results. Shah secured 68,348 votes. This was the highest vote total ever in Nepal's parliamentary election history. He surpassed Oli's previous record from 2017. Oli received 18,734 votes, giving Shah a winning margin of 49,614 votes.

Recognition

Balen Shah gained international attention in 2023. Time magazine included him in its Top 100 list. His election as an independent candidate was seen as a new challenge. It showed a shift from Nepal's traditional political parties.

See also

In Spanish: Balendra Shah para niños

• Rastriya Swatantra Party
• Rabi Lamichhane
• Mayor of Kathmandu
• 2022 Kathmandu municipal election
• 2026 Nepalese general election