Balendra Shah ‘Balen’ became the youngest PM of Nepal at the age of 35

35-year-old rapper and engineer Balen Shah took oath as the new Prime Minister of Nepal on the occasion of Ram Navami. He was administered the oath of office by President Ramchandra Paudel at the presidential residence Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu.

Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen Shah, took oath as the 47th Prime Minister of Nepal. At the age of 35, he is the youngest Prime Minister of the country.

Balendra Shah, who is also a musician and singer, released his latest song ‘Jai Mahakali’ a day before his swearing-in ceremony.

Balen’s party, the National Independent Party (RSP), secured 182 seats out of 275, giving it a clear majority.

A new Council of Ministers has been formed in Nepal. A total of 14 ministers have been assigned responsibilities across various ministries, including several senior leaders and women ministers holding important portfolios.

This swearing-in ceremony marked the culmination of a period of political change that began with the ‘Gen Z’ protests in September last year; these protests led to the removal of the K.P. Sharma Oli government and the formation of an interim government under former Chief Justice Sushila Karki.

About Balendra Shah

Balendra Shah’s journey is quite unique; a few years ago, he was known as a rapper. He later became the Mayor of Kathmandu and gained immense popularity through his work, leading his party, the National Independent Party (RSP), to project him as a prime ministerial candidate.

Balendra Shah defeated veteran politician and four-time Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli by a margin of about 50,000 votes in Jhapa-5, his traditional stronghold.

Balendra Shah will be the first Prime Minister from the Madhesi community and also the first person from outside traditional politics to lead the country.

Shah had once studied at NITTE Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT) in Bengaluru, where he pursued M.Tech in Structural Engineering (a sub-discipline of Civil Engineering).

Rise of RSP:

Founded in 2022, the party contested elections with the slogan of ‘Generation Change’, emphasizing technocratic governance, transparency and economic revival.

This victory represents a major shift from the traditional power rotation politics among Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and Maoist parties. It aims to increase Nepal’s GDP to 100 billion dollars and double per capita income to 3,000 dollars.

The election followed widespread youth-led protests at the end of 2025 against corruption, unemployment and digital censorship. These protests resulted in the dissolution of the previous government and the establishment of an interim administration.