Is Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah Nepal Gen Z's PM hope?
What's the story
As protests in Nepal continue to rage on, Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah has emerged as a potential leader. The protests were sparked by the government's ban on 26 social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram. The unrest turned deadly with at least 19 fatalities nationwide due to police crackdowns. In Kathmandu alone, 18 protesters were killed, many of them students.
Support voiced
Shah's support for protesters
Amid the unrest, Shah has expressed his support for the protesters. He said he couldn't attend the protests due to an age cap set by organizers, but emphasized the need to listen to their voices. "The rally is clearly a spontaneous movement of Gen-Z, for whom even I may seem old," he wrote in a Facebook post.
Profile
From rapper to politician
Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, was born in 1990 in Kathmandu. He studied civil engineering in Nepal and later earned a master's degree in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University in India. Before entering politics, he was part of Nepal's underground hip-hop scene as a rapper and lyricist. In 2022, he won the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent candidate with over 61,000 votes.
Rising star
Social media ban lifted; Shah becomes online sensation
After the government lifted the social media ban, Shah became a trending figure online. Many users on X urged him to take charge as the next prime minister. One user wrote, "Balen Dai, take the lead." Another said, "The difference between Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal is that we have a potential prime minister among us who will work only for the good of the country without personal interest."