---
title: 'Ex-Rapper Balendra Shah Takes Oath as Nepal’s Youngest Prime Minister'
url: 'https://thediplomaticinsight.com/ex-rapper-takes-oath-as-youngest-pm-nepal/'
author: 'Muhammad Usman Hashmi'
date: '2026-03-27T13:29:00+05:00'
categories:
  - 'South Asia'
---

# Ex-Rapper Balendra Shah Takes Oath as Nepal’s Youngest Prime Minister

**Kathmandu (TDI):** The former underground rapper Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, has taken oath as Nepal’s new prime minister on Friday. His Rastriya Swatantra Party secured a landslide victory in the general elections held on 5 March, winning 182 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives.

The [elections were Nepal’s first](https://thediplomaticinsight.com/nepals-rapper-hopes-to-win-first-election-genz-uprising/) since last year’s youth-led protests that toppled the previous government. The 35-year-old achieved a decisive victory after campaigning on promises of anti-corruption measures, judicial reforms, and the creation of 1.2 million new jobs.

 Supporters see him as a fresh face capable of breaking away from decades of elite rule and nepotism that have long caused frustration among many Nepalis, particularly the younger generation.

Outside Nepal, Balendra’s rise to power draws attention due to a campaign largely run and amplified through social media, and not on the backbone of big political capital.

## **From Rap Battles to National Politics**

Balendra Shah first gained prominence in Nepal’s rap scene in 2013 with incisive lyrics criticizing corruption and social inequality. His hit song *Balidan*, which highlights the sacrifices of Nepali workers abroad, has been viewed over 14 million times on YouTube.

 He later won the Kathmandu mayoral election in 2022 as an independent candidate, focusing on cleaning up the capital, preserving heritage sites, and addressing illegal construction.

After three years as mayor, he joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party and became its prime ministerial candidate. His campaign remained modest, relying heavily on social media to connect directly with voters rather than traditional media interviews.

## **Unity Message in New Rap Song**

Just hours after taking his oath as the Prime Minister, Balendra Shah released a new rap track calling for national unity. In the song, which quickly gained nearly three million views, he rapped: “The strength of unity is my national power. Undivided Nepali, this time history is being made.” 

The lyrics echo the optimism and determination that helped fuel last September’s protests, during which his earlier song *Nepal Haseko* became an anthem for demonstrators.

Outgoing interim prime minister Sushila Karki, [who led the caretaker government](https://thediplomaticinsight.com/nepal-sets-elections-in-march/), welcomed the shift to younger leadership in her farewell address. She expressed confidence that the new government would focus on ending corruption, creating jobs and delivering social justice.

Balendra Shah now faces high expectations from a population eager and restless for real change. Key issues include chronic unemployment, a struggling economy and the need to release findings from the investigation into last year’s protests, which left at least 77 people dead. 

The new prime minister and his party will face the challenge of balancing relations with neighboring countries, including China and India, while tackling domestic demands for accountability and economic recovery.