KATHMANDU, March 26: Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, was elected on Thursday as the leader of the Parliamentary party of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), paving the way for him to become Nepal’s youngest prime minister today. The 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician will also be the first person from the Madhes region to hold the country’s top executive post.
The RSP, which won a landslide in the March 5 general elections, secured 182 out of 275 seats in the House of Representatives, giving it a clear majority under Article 76 (1) of Nepal’s Constitution. Balen defeated four-time prime minister K P Sharma Oli in the Jhapa-5 constituency by a wide margin, signaling a major generational and political shift following last year’s Gen Z protests demanding a corruption-free regime.
Following the oath-taking of newly elected HoR members, the RSP’s central committee unanimously elected Balen as its parliamentary leader, formally qualifying him to form the government. He has been granted full authority to form a cabinet, likely consisting of 15 to 18 ministers.
The RSP’s victory decimated traditional parties, with the Nepali Congress winning only 38 seats, the CPN-UML 25, and other parties sharing the remaining seats. Balen’s rise marks a historic generational change in Nepalese politics and the emergence of a new political force under the RSP banner. (PTI)
