Azernews.Az

By Alimat Aliyeva

Facing thousands of cheering supporters, 35-year-old Balendra Shah lifted his signature black rectangular sunglasses, met the crowd’s gaze, and said simply: “I love you”, AzerNEWS reports, citing foreign media.

It is a sentiment that millions of young Nepalis seem eager to return.

Balen – as he is popularly known – was virtually unknown until 2013, when he skyrocketed to fame as a rap sensation almost overnight. Nearly a decade later, in May 2022, he stunned Nepal’s deeply entrenched political establishment by winning the mayoralty of Kathmandu as an independent candidate.

When the Himalayan nation of 30 million erupted in mass protests against then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in September 2025, Balen emerged as a prominent supporter of the movement. Many Gen Z activists saw him as their first choice for interim leadership after Oli’s resignation. Instead, he backed former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki – a strategic move that is now seen as highly tactical.

As Nepal approaches its first election since the protests, and with Karki’s brief tenure ending, Balen is positioning himself as the country’s next potential prime minister. True to his unconventional style, he is making a bold statement: he is contesting the parliamentary elections from Jhapa-5, roughly 300 km (186 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, against Oli, the man protesters ousted just five months ago.

On paper, the odds seem stacked against him. The region is a stronghold of Oli and the Communist Party of Nepal – Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML). Balen is running as a candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), a centrist party founded less than four years ago, which won 10% of the national vote in the 2022 elections.

Balen’s brash public style – criticizing mainstream parties, India, China, and the United States, and threatening to burn down symbols of power in Nepal – has drawn both praise and skepticism about his readiness for high office.

Yet he defied the critics when he captured the Kathmandu mayoralty. Analysts say that for many young Nepalis, Balen represents a breath of fresh air in a country where over 40% of the population is under 35, but the leadership of major parties is entrenched in their 70s.

“Young Nepalis see him as a decisive actor, not beholden to traditional political or business interests,” said Pranaya Rana, a journalist with the Kalam Weekly newsletter. “Many admire his macho persona and willingness to challenge entrenched political networks.”

Observers note that Balen’s mix of charisma, outsider appeal, and confrontational style has turned him into a symbol of generational change, potentially reshaping Nepalese politics for years to come.