Former rapper emerges as Prime Minister candidate in Nepal

Two popular leaders in Nepal have formed a strategic alliance ahead of the parliamentary elections on March 5, aiming to challenge the older political parties that have dominated the Himalayan nation’s politics for over three decades, party officials and analysts said.

Kathmandu Mayor and former rapper Balendra Shah, widely known as Balen, has joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), led by former TV host-turned-politician Rabi Lamichhane, party officials confirmed on Sunday. Under the agreement, 35-year-old Balen would assume the role of Prime Minister if the RSP wins the upcoming elections, while Lamichhane, 48, will remain party chief, Reuters reports.

Both leaders have pledged to address the demands raised during the “Gen Z” youth-led protests in September against widespread corruption, which resulted in 77 deaths and ultimately led to the resignation of former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.

“It is a very smart and strategic move by the RSP to bring in Balen and his young supporters into its fold,” analyst Bipin Adhikari said. “Traditional political parties are in pain for fear of losing their young voters to RSP.”

According to Nepal’s election commission, nearly 19 million of the country’s 30 million citizens are eligible to vote. Following the September protests, nearly one million new voters—mostly youths—were added to the rolls.

Balen gained prominence during the protests as an informal leader of the youth movement and played a role in forming the interim government under former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, which will oversee the elections. However, some critics have questioned his role during the protests, noting that he rarely appeared in public and primarily communicated with supporters via social media.

The elections pose a significant challenge to the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and the centrist Nepali Congress, which have largely shared power over the past three decades. Lamichhane, who formed the RSP ahead of the 2022 elections, is well-known for his anti-corruption platform as a television host and remains a popular figure in the country.

By Vafa Guliyeva