Balendra Shah popularly known as Balen Shah is a well known Nepali politician who started his journey from music to engineering to politcs. Balendra Shah has been a memeber of a party named ‘Rastriya Swatantra Party(RSP)’. Recently, Balendra resigned from his position as ‘The Mayor of Kathmandu'(30th May 2022–18th January 2026) and is on a run for the postion of ‘Prime Minister of Nepal’ as a candidate.[1][2]
Balen Shah
| Born | 27 April 1990 (age 35) |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | Naradevi, Kathmandu, Nepal |
| Nationality | Nepali |
| Occupation | Politician, Rapper, Civil Engineer |
| Years active | 2011–present |
| Political position | Former Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City |
| Term as Mayor | 2022–2026 |
| Political affiliation | Rastriya Swatantra Party |
| Known for | Tenure as Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City and public engagement |
Education
Shah received Bachelor’s Degree in civil engineering from Himalayan Whitehouse International College.also received a master’s degree in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University in Karnataka, India.Balen Shah has been awarded a KU Researcher’s Fellowship for his PhD studies in Civil Engineering at Kathmandu University and his topic of study is the “Conservation of Newa Heritage Structure to promote Tourism and Economy”.[3]
Musical Career
Before politics, Balen Shah was mostly known as a rapper in Nepal.[4] He used music to talk about social issues and things young people feel every day. Many of his songs spoke openly about frustration with politics and system. Because of this, a lot of young listeners connected with his music. One of his songs, Nepal Haseko, became popular very fast and reached YouTube trending within a few hours after release. This showed that his voice through music had already reached many people before his political entry.[5]
International Recognition
Balen Shah was included in the 2023 TIME 100 Next list of emerging global leaders recognized for shaping the future.[6][7]
Controversies
- Shah has often clashed with the national government and major political parties over authority and governance issues. One widely reported incident involved strong remarks after a security check on his wife’s vehicle, followed by protests such as temporarily stopping waste collection from Singha Durbar.[8]
- His style of city management has drawn both support and criticism, including the demolition of illegal structures, removal of street vendors, and efforts to uncover the historic Tukucha River.[9]
- In 2023, Shah placed a map of “Greater Nepal” inside his office, an act that led to objections from India and sparked debate in Nepal amid regional tensions related to historical borders.[10]
- Shah stopped Indian films in Kathmandu for some time after a dialogue in the movie Adipurush created anger about where Sita was born. In Nepal, this topic is very sensitive for people.[11]
- During the Gen-Z protests, student groups said the city did not protect heritage places properly. Shah did not agree and said city workers were on duty all the time to keep things under control.[12]
References
- Nepal's former rapper to run for PM in key vote after Gen Z protests - Reuters ↑
- Balen Resigns from Kathmandu Mayor Post - Khoj Samachar ↑
- कालो चस्माभित्र लुकेका बालेन शाह - Setopati ↑
- Balen Shah: Nepal protests, rapper-mayor & Gen Z’s choice for prime minister - Firstpost ↑
- Balen's song ‘Nepal Haseko’ hit YouTube Trending just few hours after its release - myRepublica ↑
- Kathmandu Mayor Shah listed in 2023 TIME100 Next emerging leaders - The Kathmandu Post ↑
- TIME100 Next 2023: Meet the Emerging Leaders Shaping the Future - TIME ↑
- Balen Shah threatens to torch Singha Durbar after traffic police stops KMC vehicle carrying wife - Setopati ↑
- And then Balen was back with a bulldozer (Pictures) - Setopati ↑
- Why a map in India’s new parliament has riled its neighbours - CNN ↑
- Balen to ban Hindi films release in Kathmandu until ‘Janaki is a daughter of India’ line is omitted in Adipurush - Ratopati ↑
- NSU files police complaint against Mayor Balen and Sudan Gurung - MyRepublica ↑