Balendra Shah: The Rapper-Politician Transforming Nepal's Political Landscape

A New Era in Nepal's Politics

In a remarkable shift in Nepal's political scene, Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician, is leading his newly established Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to a significant victory in the first election following the student-led ‘Gen Z’ protests. Known as Balen, the 35-year-old has been serving as the mayor of Kathmandu since May 2022. His connection to Bengaluru is noteworthy, as he completed his postgraduate studies in engineering there. Balen pursued an MTech at the Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT) from 2016 to 2018, being part of the inaugural batch of the autonomous structural engineering course. His popularity as a rapper on YouTube was well-known among his peers, although his professors were unaware of his political ambitions until he became mayor.

'Focused and Popular'

As reported by a local media outlet, Professor Bharathi Ganesh, one of Balen’s instructors at NMIT, described him as both a dedicated student and a well-liked rapper. She noted, “Typically, Nepalese students I have taught have engaged with various musical instruments, but Balen stood out as a rapper. We would often watch his YouTube performances.”

While his rap music resonated with his peers in Bengaluru, they were largely unaware of the social messages embedded in his lyrics. Professor Ganesh recalled, “He was diligent in attending classes and remained very focused. Even after graduation, he would reach out to me and other faculty members. I fondly congratulated him in 2022 when he was elected as the Mayor of Kathmandu, and I jokingly referred to him as ‘Mayor Saab’.”

Shreyas, A V, now serving as deputy registrar at NMIT, reminisced about Balen's time in the college hostel, mentioning two friends who accompanied him, one of whom has since moved to the United States. “Balen, along with Praveen Shreshta and Sunil Lansal, was always together, regularly attended classes, and excelled academically. If I recall correctly, he achieved commendable marks in his final exams,” he added.

Background of Balendra Shah

Born in Kathmandu in 1990, Balendra Shah initially studied civil engineering in Nepal before pursuing a master's degree in India. Before venturing into politics, he was an influential figure in Nepal’s underground hip-hop scene, using his music to highlight issues such as corruption and social inequality. Shah entered the political arena as an independent candidate, winning the 2022 mayoral election in Kathmandu with over 61,000 votes, defeating candidates from established political parties. He is married to Sabina Kafle.