Balendra Shah (born 27 April 1990) is a Nepali politician, structural engineer, and rapper who has served as the prime minister of Nepal since 2026. At age 36, he is the world's youngest serving state leader. He assumed office following his party's landslide victory in the 2026 general election. Shah is the member of parliament for Jhapa 5 and was the mayor of Kathmandu from 2022 to 2026, the first independent politician to hold that office.
Shah, a structural engineer and rapper, entered politics in 2022 as mayor of Kathmandu. He emerged as a prominent political figure during the 2025 Gen Z protests and in January 2026, he resigned as Mayor of Kathmandu and joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to contest the 2026 general election as the party's prime ministerial candidate. He defeated former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli in Jhapa 5 ending the latter's long-term dominance in the constituency.
Under Shah's premiership, the RSP government has initiated a "100-Point Charter of Governance", restructured the administration, and prioritized service delivery and anti-corruption. Despite criticism regarding his refusal to address the public, Shah remains a popular figure with over three-fourths of participants in an OnlineKhabar survey rating his government's performance over the first 100 days positively.
Early life and education Shah was born on 27 April 1990 in the Naradevi area of Kathmandu to a Maithil family from Ekdara, Mahottari District. He is the youngest of three children born to Dhruva Devi Shah, a housewife from Dhanusha District, and Dr. Ram Narayan Shah, an Ayurvedic physician who worked at the Naradevi Ayurvedic Hospital. Shah's family prioritized education and discipline, while his father encouraged his interest in creative activities like music. His elder sister, Sujata Shah Sejekan, is a painter, while his elder brother, Kaushal Shah, is a chartered accountant.
Shah attended the Jaljala Secondary School and Alliance Academy, where he completed his primary and secondary education, respectively. He later attended V.S. Niketan Higher Secondary School and completed his intermediate science studies. It was during this time that he developed an interest in hip-hop and began writing his own songs in Nepali and Maithili. Shah went on to study civil engineering at Himalayan WhiteHouse International College, pursuing a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) degree. He later moved to Bengaluru, India where he attended Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NITTE), affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University. He received a Master of Technology (M.Tech) in structural engineering in 2018.
After returning to Nepal, Shah worked as a structural engineer and was involved in infrastructure projects in the Kathmandu Valley. He later became a PhD research fellow at Kathmandu University where his research was based on the conservation of traditional Newa architecture and sustainable tourism. His doctoral studies were suspended when he began pursuing politics full-time.
Music career Shah entered Nepal's underground Nephop scene in the early 2010s. His first single, "Sadak Balak" (Street Kid), was recorded in 2012 from lyrics he had written while in school. The track addressed urban social issues in Kathmandu and gained attention within Nepal's underground hip-hop scene.
In 2013 he participated in Raw Barz, a YouTube battle-rap series featuring emerging Nepali artists. His participation increased his visibility within the Nepali hip-hop scene. Over the following years he released songs addressing political corruption, social inequality, and urban life.
Shah frequently incorporated political and social themes into his music and online commentary.
In 2024 he wrote, composed, and performed "Nepal Haseko…" for the film Laaj Sharanam.
Mayor of Kathmandu (2022–2026)
Shah had been discussing the idea of entering local politics since 2020. On 17 December 2021, he used his Facebook page to announce that he would contest the upcoming mayoral election as an independent. The move was treated by many as a curiosity—an entertainer dabbling in politics—but his campaign quickly gathered momentum. His core message revolved around waste management, traffic reform, transparent public services, anti-corruption measures, and the protection of Kathmandu's built heritage.
His styling was deliberately distinct from career politicians. He wore dark sunglasses, carried a wooden walking stick (lauro), and moved through the capital's narrow alleys on foot, stopping to talk to shopkeepers and street vendors. Young volunteers, many of them first-time voters, ran much of his ground campaign, and his rallies blended street theatre with hip-hop performances.
On 26 May 2022, he won the election with 61,767 votes (38.6%), defeating Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Shrestha and former mayor Keshav Sthapit by a margin of more than 23,000 votes. He was sworn in on 30 May 2022 and immediately began a series of measures that defined his tenure.
His rise drew comparisons with the late Ujwal Thapa, the founder of Bibeksheel Nepali, who had spent years trying to break the hold of traditional parties. Several veterans of the Bibeksheel movement joined Shah's mayoral campaign, and his election was widely framed as a delayed harvest of seeds Thapa had planted before his death from COVID-19 in June 2021.
Infrastructure and public services Within days of taking office Shah reached an agreement with the Ministry of Urban Development to restart garbage collection, which had been stalled for weeks. By August 2022 private companies were contracted to handle solid waste disposal following a four-point pact with local residents' committees.
His administration installed tactile paving along major footpaths to assist visually impaired pedestrians, and constructed falcha-style bus shelters modelled on traditional Newari rest houses. New bus routes were introduced, stops were upgraded, and a smart ticketing system was piloted on several corridors.
Transparency Shah made the proceedings of Kathmandu's municipal council publicly accessible for the first time by introducing live telecasts of meetings. An online building permit system was rolled out and digital signatures were introduced to cut paperwork and reduce opportunities for bribe-taking.
Education and healthcare Shah launched the "Textbook-Free Friday" programme in community schools, setting aside one day a week for technical skills and extracurricular activities. He also instructed private schools to offer scholarships to at least 10% of their students, enforcing a long-ignored legal provision. In healthcare, Rs 90 million was allocated to equip modern operating theatres at Kanti Children's Hospital, upgrade outpatient facilities at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, and improve coronary care at Manmohan Transplant Centre.
Cultural heritage
His office expanded support for the Living Kumari, Bhairav, and Ganesh festivals. Cooperation agreements were signed with Tribhuvan University to modernise municipal services and conserve the city's traditional stone water spouts known as hiti.
Demolitions and evictions Shortly after taking office, Shah launched a demolition campaign against structures he said had encroached on public land. Bulldozers were sent to commercial buildings including the Alfa Beta Complex in Baneshwor, the RB Complex in Khichapokhari, and the Suraj Arcade on New Road. Businesses were given 35 days' notice before enforcement began. The initial wave of demolitions was supported by some residents who had long resented the encroachments, but the campaign later drew criticism for its implementation and the absence of follow-up rebuilding.
The drive also targeted the buried Tukucha (Ikshumati) River. Part of the Jai Nepal Cinema Hall was torn down to uncover a section of the waterway, but a stay order from the Patan High Court halted further work. The court later ruled that while the river deserved protection, private property rights had to be respected as well. By early 2026 the exposed section remained visible but no additional conservation had been carried out.
In November 2022, attempts to evict squatters from the Bagmati riverbanks turned violent when municipal police clashed with residents, leaving 21 people injured. Squatters and activists demanded alternative accommodation before any relocation.
Shah's crackdown on street vendors also attracted international criticism. Human Rights Watch accused the city of using disproportionate force, citing videos that showed municipal police chasing and beating vendors. Small protests erupted, led by activists who argued that nearly half of Nepal's economy relied on informal businesses and that the city offered no safety net for those displaced. In September 2023 the activist known as Iih staged a 199‑hour vigil outside city hall; the protest ended with a commitment from the city to explore temporary permits and return confiscated goods.
Comment inciting violence against Singha Durbar In September 2023, Shah posted on Facebook that he would "set Singha Durbar on fire" if municipal vehicles were stopped again, after his wife Sabina Kafle was halted at a police checkpoint while travelling in a car with government plates. The post drew criticism from political commentators and members of the public. An aide initially claimed Kafle had been rushing to hospital in labour, but it later emerged that she had already given birth a week earlier. The incident resurfaced in September 2025 when Gen Z protesters did set fire to Singha Durbar; Shah denied any connection to his earlier statement and urged the public to avoid rumours.
Map of Greater Nepal and ban on Indian films In June 2023, Shah placed a map of "Greater Nepal" in his office—a map showing territories controlled by Nepal before the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli that are now part of India. The gesture was widely interpreted as a response to the display of an "Akhand Bharat" map in India's new Parliament.
The same month, he banned the screening of all Indian films in Kathmandu after the Bollywood release Adipurush included dialogue stating that "Sita is a daughter of India"—a line that generated controversy in Nepal, who regard Sita as having been born in Janakpur. The Patan High Court ordered the ban lifted; Shah refused to comply and publicly labelled the judiciary and central government "Indian slaves", though he later complied with the court order.
Offensive posts and the 2025 Gen Z protests In November 2025 a late‑night Facebook post by Shah used an profanity directed at India, China, the United States, and all major Nepali political parties. Though the post was deleted within minutes, screenshots circulated widely and drew criticism from political commentators and social media users.
During the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests in September 2025, the student wing of the Nepali Congress filed a police complaint accusing Shah of inciting violence and withholding fire engines from burning government buildings. He rejected the allegations, insisting that city crews worked "around the clock" to protect public infrastructure.
Prime Minister of Nepal
2026 general election
On 28 December 2025, Shah formally joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), stepping down as Mayor of Kathmandu on 18 January 2026 to contest the 2026 general election. He was immediately projected as the party's prime‑ministerial candidate. His arrival significantly increased public attention toward the RSP, which had been struggling under the weight of founder Rabi Lamichhane's legal troubles. Political observers noted that the presence of widely trusted figures such as Shah and Kul Man Ghising had given the party a renewed political momentum.