Nepal Election 2026: Balendra Shah, the rapper behind popular Nepali songs Nepal Haseko, Aam Nepali Buwaa and Sadak Balak, is likely to derail the political journeys of stalwarts like former Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in the Nepal Elections 2026.
The former rapper and Kathmandu Mayor is likely to win the battle of youth versus traditional parties of the Hindu State Nepal.
Nepal Election 2026-Youth Population Holds The Cards!
Interestingly, more than 40 percent of Nepal’s population is under the age of 35 years. This suggests that Balen who is extremely popular with the youth of Nepal could represent a fresh breath of political air amid the political landscape of the country that has been long marred by widespread corruption.
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Who Is Balendra Shah?
Balendra Shah rose to prominence as an overnight rap sensation in 20013. In 2022, he stunned everyone in Nepal’s political circles by winning the elite post of Kathmandu’s Mayor that he contested as an independent. In 2025, the 35-year-old Shah supported the Gen-Z protestors and soon became the undisputed and first choice to become Nepal’s interim leader. To the surprise of everyone, Shah supported former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki for the interim leader of the Hindu State.
Shah tackled the trash crisis of Kathmandu after becoming the Mayor. Balendra Shah would be up against former Nepali PM Oli in the same constituency in Nepal Elections 2026. A civil engineering graduate from Kathmandu’s Himalayan Whitehouse International College, Shah received a postgraduate degree in structural engineering from Karnataka’s Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU). Presently, Shah is pursuing a PhD in traditional infrastructure at Kathmandu University.
Traditionally, the Hindu State of Nepal has been a long-time ally of India. Oli is seen as pro-China while Shah has been portraying himself as pro-Nepal and has abused India and China in the past.
