Balen Shah: Balendra Shah, the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, is all set to become the Himalayan Kingdom’s youngest Prime Minister. Popularly known as Balen Shah, Balendra was recently named as the Prime Ministerial candidate after he signed a pact with Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).
Balen Shah Thwarts Old Guard
The seven-point agreement was concluded after marathon negotiations. It was decided that Rabi Lamichhane would continue to serve in the capacity of chairperson of the RSP that has won 18 seats and leading in 99 seats.
Gen Z protests last year saw the resignation of KP Sharma Oli, the former Nepali Prime Minister. On March 5, Nepal went to polls and strong participation was seen from young voters who supported Balen Shah and his party.
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The electorate of Nepal has firmly and vehemently rejected the old guard of Nepal. The 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician is presently leading over Oli in the Jhapa-5 constituency, which has been long considered as a powerful stronghold of Oli.
The Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) has managed to secure just a single seat while leading 11 seats. On the other hand, the Nepali Congress has grabbed 4 seats and leading in 11 seats by now.
The strong showing of Balen’s party in both proportional and direct contests truly underscores the broad appeal of the Gen Z influenced party across the diverse electorate of Nepal.
India And China Relations
India is watching the Nepal Election 2026 results closely as Nepal has been a long-time ally of the Asian powerhouse. It is likely that Balen Shah would observe a softer approach toward New Delhi as India has always supported the cause of the Himalayan Kingdom.
According to media reports, Balen is likely to also lend a softer hand to China as Nepal is seeking massive funding to support its growth and development plans in the years to come.
