Balen Shah's Maithili Speech Sparks PM Bid, Sets Stage for Clash with K P Oli

Shah, who is of Madhesi origin, struck the right tone by delivering his speech in Maithili, the mother tongue of most Nepalis living in the city and its surrounding areas. He addressed the gathering at a party-organised event a day after resigning from his post as Kathmandu's Mayor.

A senior leader of the RSP, Shah, urged voters to cast their ballots for his party not merely because a Madhesi's son could become the country's Prime Minister, but to ensure that the right people would lead the country.

"Good days are coming for you. That's why vote for the bell symbol. The right government will be in office-so vote for the bell," he said. The bell is the election symbol of the RSP. If Shah becomes Prime Minister, it would be the first time a person from the Madhesi community would lead the government in the Himalayan nation. In Nepal's democratic history, politics has largely been dominated by hill Brahmins.

During his speech, Shah also highlighted the tourism potential of Janakpur, the sacred land believed to be the birthplace of Goddess Sita and the site of the marriage of Ram and Sita, according to the Ramayana. He emphasised that the city could become a major destination for weddings, especially at a time when an increasing number of Nepalis are choosing to marry abroad.

At the mass gathering, RSP President Rabi Lamichhane lauded Shah as a leader capable of building the nation. Recalling several cases filed against him - mostly related to cooperative fraud - Lamichhane said he could be unjustly jailed, but he was not worried because Balen Shah had emerged to lead the nation.

The RSP has selected Shah to contest the elections from Jhapa-5, the same constituency where former Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli has been contesting elections for a long time. Oli's party - the Nepal Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist), or CPN (UML) - has also selected Oli as its candidate from the same constituency. Whether the two will face each other directly will be confirmed when both parties nominate their candidates on Tuesday.

If Shah and Oli contest head-to-head from the same constituency, the race will be seen as a battle for the next Prime Ministership.

The two have been at loggerheads on several occasions, particularly when Oli served as Prime Minister. Following the Gen-Z protests in September last year, Shah - an architect and rapper by profession - was also seen as a kingmaker in the formation of the current government led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki.

In late December, Shah's team merged with the RSP, and he was appointed a senior leader of the party. Following his resignation as Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Shah entered the RSP party office for the first time on Sunday.

As part of a seven-point agreement reached between Shah and the RSP, Shah is set to become the leader of the party's parliamentary party of the RSP following an election victory and the party's prime ministerial candidate after the upcoming House of Representatives election.

Shah, usually a reclusive Mayor who rarely gives media interviews, enjoys a cult following - particularly among young people - due to his efforts to improve public infrastructure in the capital and his outspoken criticism of what he describes as the "corrupt" leadership of established political parties.

He was elected Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City in May 2022 as an independent candidate. His victory is widely credited with sparking increased interest among young people in entering politics.

- IANS