Balen Shah: The Rapper Vying for Prime Minister of Nepal

Balen Shah, the 35-year-old rapper also known as Balen, has achieved a significant victory in the Nepalese elections, challenging Khagda Prasad Sharma Oli for the prime ministership.

Shah garnered 68,348 votes compared to the former prime minister's 18,734, according to the election oversight committee. His rise is linked to the mass mobilizations of Generation Z in September 2025, triggered by the then-prime minister's ban on social media.

Shah's party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), appears to be gaining ground, and he has pledged to create 1.2 million jobs and increase per capita income.

Shah, known for his song "Balidan," has expressed support for the protesters and called Sharma Oli a "terrorist who betrayed his country."