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Azadeh MoshiriSouth Asia Correspondent<\/p>\n
Who is Balendra Shah?published at 00:31 GMT<\/p>\n
00:31 GMT<\/p>\n
Azadeh Moshiri
South Asia Correspondent<\/p>\n
![\"Nepal](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/297c6562-a1dd-4d0b-a2f2-f5333955750a.jpg.webp.webp\")
Image source, getty<\/p>\n
Balendra Shah – more commonly known as Balen – is a former rapper who, until January, was the mayor of capital Kathmandu.<\/p>\n
His songs have featured prominently in his campaign, and have been heavily critical of Nepal\u2019s political elite.<\/p>\n
The 35-year-old was in office as mayor when Gen-Z protests swept the capital, overthrew the government, and paved the way for this election to happen.<\/p>\n
Shah, who joined the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) late last year, has won the Jhapa 5 constituency against KP Sharma Oli, the former prime minister who was forced to resign at the height of the protests last year.<\/p>\n
Shah has mostly shunned the press and avoided their questions. We\u2019ve tried to speak to him twice in the past week, and both times he stormed past reporters and cameras.<\/p>\n
His critics argue this strategy has allowed him to avoid public scrutiny of his record.<\/p>\n
As mayor he was criticised by rights groups of using the police against street vendors in a heavy-handed manner, as he worked to keep roads clear in the capital and crack down on unlicensed businesses. Shah’s campaign has not responded to our request for comment.<\/p>\n