Nepali rap star Balendra Shah was sworn in as Nepal’s new prime minister on Friday – marking him as the “youngest” Prime Minister of Nepal.
35-year-old Balendra Shah, born on April 27, 1990 popularly known as Balen, is now the 40th prime minister of Nepal following his party’s landslide victory in the 2026 Nepalese general election.
He is the first Madheshi origin prime minister of Nepal by the formation of his cabinet.
However, this is not his first ever experience in politics as he previously served as the 15th mayor of Kathmandu from 2022 to 2026, the first independent candidate to hold the office.
In the 2022 local election, Shah was elected mayor of Kathmandu, during his tenure, he introduced initiatives in waste management and traffic management.
His administration also faced criticism and controversy over issues such as the demolition of structures, the handling of squatter settlements, and enforcement actions against street vendors. During his tenure as mayor, Shah also promoted Greater Nepal irredentism, claiming parts of northern India that were once part of the Kingdom of Nepal, following the Nepalese land captured by British India after the Sugauli Treaty.
Indian Prime Minister Modi congratulated him on X, “Warm congratulations to Mr. Balendra Shah on being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal. Your appointment reflects the trust reposed in your leadership by the people of Nepal. I look forward to working closely with you to take India-Nepal friendship and cooperation to even greater heights for the mutual benefit of our two peoples.”
Shah emerged as a prominent political figure during the 2025 Gen Z protests. In January 2026, he resigned as mayor of Kathmandu and joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to contest the 2026 general election as the party’s prime ministerial candidate.
He defeated former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli in Jhapa 5 by a landslide, leading his party to a historic majority victory.
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