Nepal's Millennial PM Hopeful Balen Shah: Rapper, Reformer, Political Phantom

"Balen believes in spontaneity. He famously says that no plan is the plan he follows," said 25-year-old Rajat Das Shreshtha, a well-known musician in Kathmandu who was among the protesters who took to the streets last year that led to the resignation of the then K.P. Sharma Oli government.

"He's like the Phantom; no one -- even among his core group -- seems to know where he is, where he'll be, or what his plans are," said Syamantak Ghosh, a Delhi-based journalist from Germany's international public broadcaster, Deutsche Welle (DW), covering Nepal polls.

"For the Gen Z, his image is that of a saviour," he added. As their "saviour" drove out of his camp office in Damak, part of his constituency of Jhapa 5, on Monday, March 2, at least 50 of his doting fans from nearby lanes lay a siege on the SUV he was driving, crying out his name.

He smilingly acknowledged them, consenting to their request for a "selfie" at the wheels, before whizzing out. The fans were left agape in admiration, waving and shouting as the speeding SUV stirred up a wisp of dust behind it in the narrow lane.

He loves theatrics. He would raise the dark glasses that he loves to sport in public and mouth "I love you", as the crowd of admirers almost swoon. Yet he appears to largely prefer staying to himself, preferring to zip through the constituency during the campaign trail, rather than mingle with locals or address rallies like the other leaders.

Despite the large crowds that sweep down whenever he is spotted, Balen is a cautious person. Once, while he was driving on the highway, a media car tried to overtake his, and the occupants started clicking his photographs. He immediately pulled over his car and asked his aides to politely advise the media members not to repeat the exercise. They didn't; subsequently losing Balen in the highway chase.

Born on April 27, 1990, in Kathmandu, Balen Shah is a structural engineer-turned-rapper, and the independent, politically an outlier, candidate, who became the city's 15th mayor in 2022.

Through his rap music questioning authorities and social media presence, he was already a national figure. His rise fused street‑level charisma, social-media fluency, and a promise to upend Nepal's old political order.

As mayor, he emphasised visible, results-oriented projects, anti-corruption rhetoric, and a hands-on approach that played well on social media and in street politics. His background as a non‑career politician helped him position himself as an outsider reformer.

In his music career, Balen was active in 'Nephop' since around 2012, performing and producing politically tinged rap that built him a public profile among younger Nepalis.

Resigning midway of his mayoral tenure, Balen's profile expanded beyond Kathmandu. He joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party and emerged as a prominent voice in the post-uprising political landscape, campaigning on economic reform, youth empowerment, and stopping brain drain.

His rapid ascent made him be projected as a prime‑ministerial contender, challenging the ousted Prime Minister Oli in the latter's bastion. He is a character painted by his followers and the media as symbolising a break with the past.

Balen's success is built on charisma, his digital reach, and a reform message that many believe can change Nepal's policy and politics. Balen, added his admirer Rajat, views the job of the Prime Minister "easier" than a mayor, since the latter needs a number of clearances to implement changes.

What he may realise is that in the new office -- if he indeed assumes it -- the clearance will need to come from a larger number, the people of Nepal.

- IANS