Nepali rapper turned mayor is young people's favourite in political crisis

KATHMANDU: Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, an unusually youthful elected official in Nepali politics dominated by seasoned legislators, has emerged as a favourite among young people to represent them in an interim government.

The capital’s 35-year-old mayor, a former rapper who often appears on Instagram and in public wearing a dark blazer and sunglasses, is in the spotlight after deadly protests prompted the resignation of Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, 73.

“You should be our new prime minister,” said Rewant Adhikari on X, one of many who have urged Shah to contest as prime minister and eventually replace Oli. “Long live Nepal!”

This week’s anti-graft protests that killed 19 people were organised by the group “Gen Z Nepal”, which draws support from more than half the country’s 30 million people who are younger than 30, but often led by prime ministers twice their age.

Shah should be among the Gen Z representatives who hold talks with President Ram Chandra Poudel to chart the next steps for the Himalayan nation, said Balaram K.C., a former judge of the Supreme Court and constitutional expert.

Shah has offered no detailed response to the calls. Reuters could not immediately contact him as his mobile telephone was switched off, and his office declined a request to interview him.

Popularly known as Balen, the structural engineer by training won the 2022 mayoral election as an independent candidate, defying Nepal’s traditional party system and becoming a symbol of political disruption.

Among his rap tracks “Balidan”, or “Sacrifice”, released in 2020, stands out, with more than 11 million YouTube views for its critique of corruption, social injustice, and governance failures.

On his Instagram account, followed by more than 800,000 people, the thickly-bearded Shah has consistently voiced his support for the protesters, calling Oli a “terrorist” who did not understand the “pain of losing a son or daughter”.

That’s according to sources including a U.S. official and an EU diplomat.

INTERIM REPRESENTATIVE

A draft policy prepared by the Gen Z Nepal group names Shah as a potential representative of youth and protest movements on a Neutral Interim Authority Council proposed to restore law and order and guide Nepal toward elections in about 18 months.

He will sit on the body alongside technocrats and civil society leaders, according to the document seen by Reuters.

Shah has said he did not join the protests because they were mainly for people younger than 26, who saw him by comparison as an old man, but added it was necessary to hear them out.

On Tuesday, he warned the protesters of the challenges in store. “Now your generation will have to lead the country!” he said. “Be prepared!”

Born in 1990 in Kathmandu, Shah studied civil engineering in Nepal and completed a master’s in structural engineering in India. Time magazine listed him among its Top 100 Emerging Leaders of 2023.

Analysts say Shah’s tenure as mayor has been marked by anti-corruption efforts, urban reforms, and a strong social media presence.

He has improved pedestrian infrastructure, cracked down on accusations of tax evasion by private schools, and pushed for better oversight of public education.

“The youth want you to step forward as a temporary spokesperson during this transition,” young IT professional Pramod Kandel told Shah on X.

“For the long term, we need you … to work with, even work under, other non-corrupt leaders who have demonstrated competence, integrity, and love for the country.”