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Balendra Shah : Gen-Z rapper joins alliance to run for Nepal PM, challenges old guard
Rapper-turned-Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah has joined forces with Rabi Lamichhane’s Rastriya Swatantra Party ahead of Nepal’s March parliamentary elections, posing a strong challenge to traditional political parties that have dominated the country for decades.
Two popular leaders have formed a high-profile alliance ahead of Nepal’s March parliamentary elections, setting the stage for a generational and political shift in the Himalayan nation long dominated by established parties, officials and analysts said on Monday.
Balendra Shah, the rapper-turned-Kathmandu mayor and one of Nepal’s most popular young political figures, formally joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) on Sunday. The party is led by Rabi Lamichhane, a former television host who has rapidly emerged as a key force in Nepalese politics.
The alliance is being widely viewed as a direct challenge to traditional parties that have controlled Nepal’s political landscape for more than three decades, tapping into growing public frustration with entrenched leadership and governance issues.
Balendra Shah, popularly known as “Balen”, rose to national prominence after winning the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent candidate, drawing strong support from young voters and urban constituencies. His entry into national politics through the RSP is expected to energise Gen-Z and first-time voters ahead of the polls.
Political analysts say the partnership between Shah and Lamichhane could significantly alter Nepal’s electoral dynamics, particularly in urban centres, by consolidating anti-establishment sentiment into a single platform.
The March elections are seen as a crucial test of whether Nepal’s emerging political forces can translate popularity into parliamentary power and challenge the dominance of the long-established parties.
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