Balen Shah: Rapper, engineer, mayor — Nepal’s Gen Z sees a future PM
Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, is no longer just the Mayor of Kathmandu — his name is now at the centre of Nepal’s political storm. As Gen Z protesters filled the streets demanding change, many began looking to the 33-year-old mayor as the most credible alternative to traditional leaders.
Even though organisers restricted him from attending demonstrations, Shah declared solidarity online. He stressed that the voices of young people must be heard and respected. For many in Nepal’s restless youth, that message was enough to place him at the heart of their movement.
Social media turns the spotlight on him
When the government’s ban on 26 social media platforms — including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X — was lifted late on Monday, the anger of young Nepalis quickly shifted online. Campaigns demanding that Shah step forward began trending, with users insisting that Nepal’s future needed someone outside the old party structures.
Shah himself acknowledged the scale of the moment. Calling the protest "entirely a Gen Z movement," he addressed demonstrators through Facebook.
"Dear Gen Z, your demand for the resignation of the government has been met. Now it is time to remain restrained," he wrote.
He warned against destruction of property, adding: "The loss of the country's wealth is, in reality, a loss to our own property. It is now essential that we all act with restraint."
Shah further encouraged young people to engage constructively in shaping the nation’s leadership. He hinted at possible dialogue with the Chief of Army Staff, but reminded his audience: "such dialogue should take place only after the dissolution of Parliament."
From rapper to mayor: who is Balen Shah?
Born in 1990, Shah studied civil engineering in Nepal before completing a master’s degree in structural engineering in India at Visvesvaraya Technological University.
But long before politics, he made a name in Kathmandu’s underground rap scene. Through music, he challenged corruption and inequality, striking a chord with urban youth. That popularity helped him in 2022, when he won the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent candidate with more than 61,000 votes, defeating seasoned political rivals.
Oli’s fall amid violent protests
The backdrop to Shah’s rise is violent unrest. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned after a week of protests spiralled out of control. At least 19 people were killed and hundreds injured. In Kathmandu alone, 18 deaths were reported — many of them school and college students.
Over the past two days, more than 500 people have been injured in confrontations around the Federal Parliament and other parts of the capital. Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel has accepted Oli’s resignation.
Anger at leaders’ homes and party offices
While Shah urged calm, protests targeted political leaders across Kathmandu. Demonstrators set fire to the house of Minister for Communication and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung, while stones were thrown at the residences of Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel, Nepal Rastra Bank Governor Biswo Paudel, and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.
The central office of the Nepali Congress in Sanepa was vandalised on Tuesday. Protesters also damaged the homes of party president Sher Bahadur Deuba in Budhanilkantha and attacked the CPN-UML party office in Chyasal, Lalitpur.