Who is the rapper-engineer-Kathmandu mayor Balen Shah? And is he Nepal's next PM?

Atyachar, akraman, apradh, asamajhdari
Bikalpa bihin, bideshi bank bhanchha bhikhari
Shikari neta, abhineta banchha krantikari
Bigari ketaketi, bhoko pet reti sipahi
"Oppression, attack, crime, misunderstanding / No alternatives, foreign banks call us beggars / Hunter leaders, actors become revolutionaries / Spoiled youth, hungry soldiers retreat"
Sabai lai hataar chha, sabai lai hataar chha
Desh bechne, lutne, khaane, sabai lai hataar chha
Yo deshko dharma, sanskriti, itihaas balidan
Janta ko rakta, pasina, aashu ko balidan

"Everyone is in a hurry, everyone is in a rush / To sell, loot, and devour the country, everyone is in a hurry / This country’s religion, culture, history is a sacrifice / The people’s blood, sweat, and tears are a sacrifice"

These are lyrics of two popular songs that Nepali rapper and Kathmandu mayor Balen Shah wrote in the last few years. These lyrics were resounding in Nepal as protesting students tore apart the ruling elite of the country, literally and politically. The last few days saw upheaval and violence at a scale not seen in the country, where school and college-going youth hit the streets and when the government tried to curb them, they hit back with even more force.

Today, most of the political leadership of Nepal has either fled or is in hiding. The one name that has emerged as an alternative is Balen Shah.

But who is he exactly? And what if he does become the PM of Nepal, or even a strong political force, what does it mean to neighbouring India?

Just 35 years old, Shah was born in a Buddhist family and grew up in the Madhesh province, towards the south of the country bordering India. He was writing poetry and lyrics from a very young age, his first rap song Sadak Balak was written when he was in the ninth grade. His first big hits in the Nepali underground rap scene were in 2013 on Youtube and his songs focused on poverty, corruption, inequality and the lack of opportunities for the youth, while the kids of politicians were living it up in foreign countries. All these were themes that are at the forefront of the current protests.

Shah studied engineering in India, getting a civil engineering degree from Karnataka’s Belgavi. But he chose to leverage his degree to enter politics instead and it was a bold departure from Nepal’s traditional political landscape, long dominated by entrenched parties like the Nepali Congress and CPN (UML). In 2022, he ran as an independent for Kathmandu’s mayor, using his popularity with youth as a rapper and his campaign, particularly against corruption, struck a chord with voters frustrated by corrupt and inefficient leadership. Balen won decisively with over 61,000 votes (38.6%), defeating established parties, becoming Kathmandu’s first independent mayor

As mayor, Balen has pursued ambitious reforms, including tackling Kathmandu’s chronic waste crisis by reopening landfills and contracting private companies for garbage collection, reducing trash piles in the city’s streets. He has also demolished illegal structures to reclaim public spaces, introduced the “Textbook-free-Friday” program to promote technical skills in schools, and pushed for transparency by livestreaming city meetings. However, his confrontational style, such as evicting street vendors and demolishing properties along the Tukucha River, has sparked controversy, with critics alleging disproportionate force and harm to the urban poor.

Balen’s confrontational stands and his popularity put him directly in the crosshairs of the established political elite – which included all major political parties. But it was the ruling Comunnist Party of Nepal (UML) which felt the most threatened. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was publicly accused of “policy corruption” in scandals like the Giribandhu tea estate land exchange by Balen. His openly defiant stance was seen as an alternative to the existing politics of the country and several supporters called for him to go national.

His rise in Nepal’s politics was concurrent with the growing disillusionment and anger with traditional parties, which were seen as entrenched in their entitlement and protected by the state machinery and judiciary. Balen’s rap and his position on traditional politics was seen by Nepalis, especially the youth which was accessing him on the internet on social media, as an alternative and it established him a kind of youth icon. Which is why, though the resentment had been simmering for a long time, the immediate massive protests were a result of the social media ban that the Oli government imposed (only to revoke but too late).

Balen has now voiced his opposition to the large-scale violence that took place over the last few days even as he supported the protesters, who took their inspiration from him and now creating a clamour for him to take over.

Yet, given that he is evidently popular and is now in many ways an inspiration for the ongoing protests, it will be a tough path for Balen and his supporters to make his PM. To begin with, he must first get elected into Parliament. As of now, there is no clarity when that might happen. There have been some demands though that he be made ‘interim PM’, much like Mohammad Yunus in Bangladesh. 

Discomfort for India?

And like Yunus, Balen on top in Nepal could create discomfort for India. Already India is not really in the best time of its relationship with India with China chipping away and pulling Kathmandu into its orbit. Just a few weeks ago, Oli as PM was feted in China. Balen might be on the other side of Oli but he is not very much on India’s side either. 

His position on India has been a point of contention, reflecting his left-wing ideology and support for the “Greater Nepal” movement, which claims territories historically ceded to India. In 2023, he sparked controversy by placing a map of Greater Nepal in his office, an act that drew sharp criticism in India and highlighted his critical view of Indian influence in Nepalese affairs. His brief ban on Indian film screenings in Kathmandu, which he later reversed after accusing the federal government and courts of acting under Indian pressure, further underscored his willingness to challenge perceived external interference. While these actions have bolstered his image as a nationalist among some Nepalis, they have strained his reputation in India, positioning him as a polarizing figure in bilateral relations.