Rapper Balendra Shah Defeats Communist In Landslide To Become Nepal's Next Prime Minister

A 35-year-old former mayor and rapper will become Nepal's next and youngest-ever prime minister after his supporters triggered an electoral landslide.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A 35-year-old former mayor who first came to prominence as a rapper will become Nepal's next and youngest-ever prime minister after his supporters triggered an electoral landslide and vanquished the country's ruling communist party. Balendra Shah, who ran as a populist anti-corruption independent candidate, joined the Rastriya Swatantra (National Independent) Party in 2025 and was selected as its prime ministerial candidate. His party won a significant majority of directly elected single-member seats, while the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) lost nearly 90% of its directly-elected seats.

Why it matters

Shah's victory came in large part due to his support among Generation Z voters whose 2025 protests helped bring the communists' rule to an end. The landslide win is seen as a 'victory of hope and change' and 'the most beautiful endorsement of the Gen Z movement' after dozens of protesters lost their lives when police opened fire on them.

The details

Balendra Shah, an engineer by trade, began releasing hip-hop music under the name 'Balen' in the early 2010s. In 2022, he won an election to become mayor of Kathmandu at the age of 32, running as a populist anti-corruption independent candidate. He joined the Rastriya Swatantra (National Independent) Party in 2025, which selected him to be its prime ministerial candidate in the March election. The new party won a significant majority of directly elected single-member seats, while the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) lost nearly 90% of its directly-elected seats.

  • In 2022, Shah won an election to become mayor of Kathmandu at the age of 32.
  • In 2025, Shah joined the Rastriya Swatantra (National Independent) Party and was selected as its prime ministerial candidate.
  • In March 2026, Shah's party won a significant majority of directly elected single-member seats in Nepal's House of Representatives.

The players

Balendra Shah

A 35-year-old former mayor who first came to prominence as a rapper. He joined the Rastriya Swatantra (National Independent) Party in 2025 and was selected as its prime ministerial candidate.

K. P. Sharma Oli

The leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), who lost reelection in his own district to Shah by a nearly four-to-one margin.

Rastriya Swatantra (National Independent) Party

The new party that selected Balendra Shah as its prime ministerial candidate and won a significant majority of directly elected single-member seats.

Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)

The ruling communist party that lost nearly 90% of its directly-elected seats in the March 2026 election.

Generation Z

The young protesters whose 2025 demonstrations helped bring the communists' rule to an end.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“The true tribute to the Gen Z martyrs will be expressed through the work carried out every day by the government led by Balendra Shah.”

— Ramesh Paudyal, Senior leader in Shah's party (The Guardian)

“The victory of hope and change, the most beautiful endorsement of the Gen Z movement.”

— Ramesh Paudyal, Senior leader in Shah's party (The Guardian)

What’s next

The additional 110 seats in Nepal's House of Representatives will be determined through proportional representation over the coming week, and Shah's party seems on track to win most of these seats due to winning the popular vote by over a 30-point margin.

The takeaway

This election represents a significant shift in Nepal's political landscape, with a young, anti-corruption candidate and former rapper defeating the ruling communist party. The victory is seen as a triumph for Nepal's Generation Z protesters, who played a key role in bringing about this change.