From mayor to PM? Rise and controversies of Balen Shah
What's the story
Balen Shah, a former rapper and structural engineer, is poised to become Nepal's next Prime Minister. However, his credibility for the top post has been questioned due to several controversies. One such incident was a controversial late-night Facebook post in 2025 where he targeted America, India, and China, among others. The post, which was later deleted, included expletives targeting America, India, China, UML, Congress, and RSP.
Details
Shah's social media post
According to a report by Firstpost, the deleted Facebook post purportedly read, "F**k America, F**k India, F**k China, F**k UML, F**k Congress, F**k RSP, F**k RPP, F**k Maobaadi... Go to hell, you guys all combined can do nothing." In a surprising twist, then, Balen aligned with the RSP, one of the parties he had criticized in his post. Currently, the RSP is leading in over 110 constituencies, making it the hot favorite to form the government.
Political journey
From structural engineer to rapper
Born in 1990 in Kathmandu, Shah studied civil and structural engineering. He also did a master's degree from Visvesvaraya Technological University in Karnataka. After the 2015 Nepal earthquake, he helped rebuild homes and started rapping with politically charged songs like "Balidan." In 2022, he became the Mayor of Kathmandu as an independent candidate, defeating major political parties' candidates.
Controversial remarks
His tenure as mayor and rise in politics
Shah's tenure as mayor was marked by his efforts to clean up illegal construction and urban chaos. However, he often clashed with bureaucrats and national politicians. In December 2025, he resigned as mayor to contest parliamentary elections with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The party focuses on economic reforms and employment generation. Despite his controversies, many young Nepalis see him as a decisive actor not beholden to traditional political or business interests.
Online influence
Other controversies surrounding Shah
Shah has a strong online presence with millions of followers on various platforms. However, his credibility is reportedly often questioned due to his controversial statements and actions. In 2023, he threatened to set fire to Singha Durbar, home to several administrative offices, including the Prime Minister's Office, if government vehicles were stopped by traffic police. He also put up a "Greater Nepal" map in his office after India unveiled an "Akhand Bharat" mural.
Debate
Rejection of debate
According to preliminary results, Shah is leading his opponent, KP Sharma Oli, in the Jhapa-5 constituency by more than 13,000 votes at the time of writing. Earlier, when Oli called for a public debate among the prime ministerial candidates of the major parties on Facebook, Shah rejected the idea outright. Instead, he urged Oli to take responsibility for the civilian casualties that occurred during the protests and referred to him as a "terrorist."