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Balendra “Balen” Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician, defeated veteran Marxist leader and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in Nepal’s parliamentary elections, marking a stunning political shift.
The Election Commission confirmed on Saturday that Shah, the former mayor of Kathmandu, secured more than triple the votes of the 74-year-old incumbent.
Celebrating with his trademark dark sunglasses and a victory parade through cheering crowds, Shah’s rise is being hailed as a historic “people’s revolt” against the country’s established political elite.
The victory comes in the wake of violent youth-led protests in September 2025, which resulted in 77 deaths and the eventual collapse of the Oli-led government.
Those demonstrations, sparked by a social media ban, evolved into a national movement against corruption and economic stagnation.
Political analysts suggest that the landslide support for Shah’s centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) represents a deliberate “punishment” of traditional parties for decades of poor governance and the heavy-handed suppression of last year’s unrest.
Early trends indicate the RSP is on track for a massive national majority in the 275-member House of Representatives.
As of Saturday evening, Shah’s party held a commanding lead in both direct and proportional representation counts, while traditional giants like the Nepali Congress and the Marxist party trailed significantly.
While full official results may take a week to finalise, the current data suggests a transformative era for the Himalayan nation, driven by a younger generation eager for systemic change.
