Who is Balendra Shah? Rapper Mayor Backed by Gen Z – Nepal’s Next Prime Minister?
Balendra Shah, known as Balen, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-Kathmandu mayor, leads early counts in Nepal’s 2026 general election with his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), riding a youth wave against establishment politics. Rise from Rap to City Hall Shah exploded onto the scene with hits like “Balidan” (11M+ YouTube views) slamming corruption
