Nepals Rapper-Politician Faces New Challenge After Taking Office

Nepal Swears in New Prime Minister Balendra Shah

On March 27, 2026, Nepal’s new prime minister, Balendra Shah, was sworn into office after a landslide victory in the country’s recent election. Shah, who is also known as Balen, led the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to power with a significant majority.

For the first time in 18 years, Nepal has had a stable government, with 14 prime ministers serving in that role over the past two decades. The previous prime minister, KP Sharma Oli, was ousted by a Gen Z-led uprising months ago.

Shah’s RSP is a relatively new party, established just four years ago, and Shah himself has limited prior political experience, having served as mayor of Kathmandu. Despite this, analysts believe that Shah and the RSP have a historic opportunity to implement their agenda and address the concerns of young Nepalis who drove the recent uprising.

The election saw Shah defeat Oli in a constituency that had been his stronghold for decades. The RSP won 125 of the 165 first-past-the-post seats in parliament, with expectations of a two-thirds majority. However, some analysts have expressed caution about meeting these high expectations, given Nepal’s institutional capacity and economic growth.

One immediate task for Shah will be implementing the findings of the Karki Commission, which investigated the killings and property damage during the Gen Z movement last year. The commission submitted its report to the government on March 8, 2026, and Shah’s government is expected to take over the investigation.

Shah joined the RSP just weeks before the election and was nominated as its prime ministerial candidate. The party’s chairman, Rabi Lamichhane, remains a controversial figure, facing allegations of corruption and organized crime.

Source: Al Jazeera