{"id":"balen-shah","type":"person","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/balen-shah","language":"en","name":"Balen Shah","name_en":"Balen Shah","name_ne":"बालेन शाह","description":"Nepalese rapper and politician; Prime Minister of Nepal since 2026","headline":"Prime Minister of Nepal since March 2026 · MP for Jhapa-5 · former Mayor of Kathmandu","also_known_as":["Balendra Shah","Balen","बालेन्द्र शाह"],"summary":"Balendra “Balen” Shah is a Nepali structural engineer, rapper and politician who has been Prime Minister of Nepal since 27 March 2026, after the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won the March 2026 general election. Born in Kathmandu on 27 April 1990, he was 35 when he took office, the youngest prime minister of the federal republic. He represents Jhapa-5, where he defeated former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli by 68,348 votes to 18,734.","summary_more":["Shah first became known as a Nephop artist in the early 2010s. In May 2022 he won the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent, the first independent to hold the post, and served until he resigned on 18 January 2026 to join the RSP and run for Parliament. As mayor he introduced live broadcasts of council meetings, online building permits and a weekly textbook-free day in community schools, and led a demolition and street-vending crackdown that drew criticism from Human Rights Watch. As prime minister his government launched a 100-point governance agenda, moved public pay to a fortnightly cycle and merged federal ministries, while facing criticism over squatter evictions and his reluctance to speak publicly."],"facts":[{"key":"born","label":"Born","values":[{"text":"27 April 1990","date":"1990-04-27"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P569"}},{"key":"birthplace","label":"Place of birth","values":[{"text":"Kathmandu","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3037","page":"https://diginpl.com/places/kathmandu"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P19"}},{"key":"citizenship","label":"Citizenship","values":[{"text":"Nepal","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q837"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P27"}},{"key":"occupation","label":"Occupation","values":[{"text":"rapper","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2252262"},{"text":"politician","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q82955"},{"text":"structural engineer","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2305987"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P106"}},{"key":"party","label":"Political party","values":[{"text":"Rastriya Swatantra Party","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112895056","page":"https://diginpl.com/places/rastriya-swatantra-party"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P102"}},{"key":"education","label":"Education","values":[{"text":"M.Tech in Structural Engineering, Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (Visvesvaraya Technological University), 2018"},{"text":"BE in Civil Engineering, Himalayan WhiteHouse International College"},{"text":"V.S. Niketan Higher Secondary School"}],"source":{"label":"source","url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/index.php/news/from-rapper-to-pm-the-remarkable-journey-of-balen-91-16.html"}},{"key":"spouse","label":"Spouse","values":[{"text":"Sabina Kafle (m. 2018)"}],"source":{"label":"source","url":"https://www.setopati.com/politics/269228/"}},{"key":"website","label":"Official website","values":[{"text":"balenformayor.com","url":"https://balenformayor.com"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P856"}},{"key":"positions","label":"Positions held","values":[{"text":"Prime Minister of Nepal (since 27 March 2026 · BS 13 Chaitra 2082 onwards)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q30100626","start":"2026-03-27"},{"text":"Member of the House of Representatives of Nepal (since 26 March 2026 · BS 12 Chaitra 2082 onwards)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q61704026","start":"2026-03-26"},{"text":"Mayor of Kathmandu (30 May 2022 – 18 January 2026 · BS 16 Jestha 2079 – 4 Magh 2082)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q112134510","start":"2022-05-30","end":"2026-01-18"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P39"}},{"key":"x","label":"X (Twitter)","values":[{"text":"ShahBalen","url":"https://x.com/ShahBalen"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P2002"}},{"key":"facebook","label":"Facebook","values":[{"text":"balenOfficial","url":"https://www.facebook.com/balenOfficial"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P2013"}},{"key":"instagram","label":"Instagram","values":[{"text":"balenshah","url":"https://www.instagram.com/balenshah/"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P2003"}},{"key":"youtube","label":"YouTube","values":[{"text":"UCJgcDT2XI3cQJhGe01AFaHQ","url":"https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgcDT2XI3cQJhGe01AFaHQ"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343#P2397"}}],"office":{"profile":"https://diginpl.com/next/explore/person/balendra-shah","holdings":[{"position":"Prime Minister","page":"https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/prime-minister","start":"2026-03-27","end":null,"current":true,"acting":false,"source":{"label":"Office of the Prime Minister (opmcm.gov.np)","url":"https://www.opmcm.gov.np/"}},{"position":"Minister of Defence","page":"https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/minister-defence","start":"2026-03-27","end":null,"current":true,"acting":false,"source":{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balen_Shah_cabinet&oldid=1377602298"}},{"position":"Mayor of Kathmandu","page":"https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/mayor-kathmandu","start":"2022-05-30","end":"2026-01-18","current":false,"acting":false,"source":null}]},"sections":[{"id":"career","title":"Career timeline","items":[{"title":"Prime Minister of Nepal","kind":"role","url":"https://english.onlinekhabar.com/balen-shah-as-prime-minister.html","date":"2026-03-27","end":null,"publisher":"Onlinekhabar","doi":null,"isbn":null,"authors":[],"note":"Appointed by President Ram Chandra Paudel as parliamentary leader of the largest party; also holds the Defence portfolio.","source":"https://www.thestar.com/news/world/asia/nepals-new-prime-minister-chooses-auspicious-time-to-take-oath-of-office/article_c66e2fa3-8adb-5399-90c4-1fb06162d83d.html","self_published":false,"sponsored":false},{"title":"Member of the House of Representatives, Jhapa-5","kind":"role","url":"https://english.khabarhub.com/2026/07/538254/","date":"2026-03-07","end":null,"publisher":"Khabarhub","doi":null,"isbn":null,"authors":[],"note":"Won 68,348 votes to K. 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Sharma Oli's 18,734 in the 5 March 2026 election.","source":"https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/03/08/balendra-shah-s-thumping-win-caps-another-big-day-for-rsp","self_published":false,"sponsored":false},{"title":"Joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party","kind":"news","url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/balen-shah-officially-joins-rastriya-swatantra-party-44-37.html","date":"2026-01-18","end":null,"publisher":"Republica","doi":null,"isbn":null,"authors":[],"note":"Projected as the party's prime-ministerial candidate.","source":null,"self_published":false,"sponsored":false},{"title":"Mayor of Kathmandu","kind":"role","url":"https://english.khabarhub.com/2022/30/254867/","date":"2022-05-30","end":"2026-01-18","publisher":"Khabarhub","doi":null,"isbn":null,"authors":[],"note":"Sworn in 30 May 2022; resigned 18 January 2026 to contest the general election.","source":"https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/01/18/mayor-balen-resigns-to-contest-march-5-elections","self_published":false,"sponsored":false},{"title":"Won the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent","kind":"news","url":"https://www.bbc.com/nepali/news-61566558","date":"2022-05-26","end":null,"publisher":"BBC Nepali","doi":null,"isbn":null,"authors":[],"note":"61,767 votes (38.6%), ahead of Sirjana Singh (Nepali Congress) and Keshav Sthapit (CPN-UML).","source":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balen_Shah","self_published":false,"sponsored":false},{"title":"Announced his mayoral candidacy on Facebook","kind":"news","url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/121771/","date":"2021-12-17","end":null,"publisher":"Republica","doi":null,"isbn":null,"authors":[],"note":null,"source":null,"self_published":false,"sponsored":false},{"title":"M.Tech in structural engineering, Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, Bengaluru","kind":"credential","url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/index.php/news/from-rapper-to-pm-the-remarkable-journey-of-balen-91-16.html","date":"2018","end":null,"publisher":"Republica","doi":null,"isbn":null,"authors":[],"note":null,"source":null,"self_published":false,"sponsored":false},{"title":"Debut single “Sadak Balak”; 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Niketan Higher Secondary School and completed his intermediate science studies.","sources":[{"url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/index.php/news/from-rapper-to-pm-the-remarkable-journey-of-balen-91-16.html","title":"From rapper to PM: The remarkable journey of Balen","publisher":"MyRepublica","date":"26 March 2026"}]}]}],"cited_from":"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balen_Shah&oldid=1377472974","videos":[{"url":"https://diginpl.com/jhalak/v/81st-session-of-the-un-general-assembly-address-by-rt-hon-1789bf09b0db4b79ac31dd8c382d9755","title":"81st Session of the UN General Assembly Address by Rt. Hon. 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Niketan Higher Secondary School."},{"q":"When did Balen Shah become Prime Minister of Nepal?","a":"Balen Shah was appointed Prime Minister by President Ram Chandra Paudel on 27 March 2026, after the RSP won the March 2026 general election."},{"q":"Which constituency does Balen Shah represent?","a":"Jhapa-5. He won it on 5 March 2026 with 68,348 votes, defeating former prime minister K. P. Sharma Oli (18,734)."},{"q":"When was Balen Shah Mayor of Kathmandu?","a":"From 30 May 2022 until he resigned on 18 January 2026 to contest the general election. He was the first independent elected mayor of Kathmandu."},{"q":"What did Balen Shah study?","a":"He holds a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Himalayan WhiteHouse International College and an M.Tech in structural engineering (2018) from Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology in Bengaluru."},{"q":"Is Balen Shah a rapper?","a":"Yes. He began releasing Nephop songs in the early 2010s, starting with “Sadak Balak” in 2012, and took part in the Raw Barz battle-rap series."}],"related":[{"name":"K. P. Sharma Oli","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/k-p-sharma-oli"},{"name":"Sushila Karki","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/sushila-karki"},{"name":"Pushpa Kamal Dahal","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/pushpa-kamal-dahal"},{"name":"Girija Prasad Koirala","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/girija-prasad-koirala"},{"name":"Sher Bahadur Deuba","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/sher-bahadur-deuba"},{"name":"Sushil Koirala","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/sushil-koirala"},{"name":"Upendra Yadav","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/upendra-yadav"},{"name":"Swarnim Wagle","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/swarnim-wagle"},{"name":"Sudan Gurung","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/sudan-gurung"},{"name":"Sunil Lamsal","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/sunil-lamsal"},{"name":"Sobita Gautam","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/sobita-gautam"}],"places_in":[],"nearby":[],"image":{"url":"https://diginpl.com/kb-img/balen-shah-e4cd72553a.jpg","width":500,"height":624,"license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","credit":"Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers","page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Official_Portrait_of_Prime_Minister_Balendra_Shah,_2026.jpg"},"sources":[{"label":"Wikipedia (English): Balen Shah","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balen_Shah","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"},{"label":"Wikipedia (Nepali): बालेन शाह","url":"https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AC%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%A8_%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"},{"label":"Wikidata item Q111772343","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q111772343","license":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"},{"label":"Image: Official Portrait of Prime Minister Balendra Shah, 2026.jpg by Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (CC BY-SA 4.0)","url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Official_Portrait_of_Prime_Minister_Balendra_Shah,_2026.jpg","license":null},{"label":"Record","url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/index.php/news/from-rapper-to-pm-the-remarkable-journey-of-balen-91-16.html","license":null},{"label":"Record","url":"https://www.setopati.com/politics/269228/","license":null},{"label":"Office record: Office of the Prime Minister (opmcm.gov.np)","url":"https://www.opmcm.gov.np/","license":null},{"label":"Office record: Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balen_Shah_cabinet&oldid=1377602298","license":null},{"label":"Wikipedia (English), revision used for cited facts: Balen Shah","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balen_Shah&oldid=1377472974","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"},{"label":"Al Jazeera: Balen Shah: Rapper, mayor, Nepal's next prime minister? (2 March 2026)","url":"https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/3/2/balen-shah-rapper-mayor-nepals-next-prime-minister","license":null},{"label":"Jhalak video: 81st Session of the UN General Assembly Address by Rt. Hon. Balendra Shah","url":"https://diginpl.com/jhalak/v/81st-session-of-the-un-general-assembly-address-by-rt-hon-1789bf09b0db4b79ac31dd8c382d9755","license":null},{"label":"Onlinekhabar: Prime Minister of Nepal (27 March 2026)","url":"https://english.onlinekhabar.com/balen-shah-as-prime-minister.html","license":null},{"label":"Toronto Star (AP), 27 Mar 2026","url":"https://www.thestar.com/news/world/asia/nepals-new-prime-minister-chooses-auspicious-time-to-take-oath-of-office/article_c66e2fa3-8adb-5399-90c4-1fb06162d83d.html","license":null},{"label":"Khabarhub: Member of the House of Representatives, Jhapa-5 (7 March 2026)","url":"https://english.khabarhub.com/2026/07/538254/","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post, 8 Mar 2026","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/03/08/balendra-shah-s-thumping-win-caps-another-big-day-for-rsp","license":null},{"label":"Republica: Joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (18 January 2026)","url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/balen-shah-officially-joins-rastriya-swatantra-party-44-37.html","license":null},{"label":"Khabarhub: Mayor of Kathmandu (30 May 2022)","url":"https://english.khabarhub.com/2022/30/254867/","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: resignation","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/politics/2026/01/18/mayor-balen-resigns-to-contest-march-5-elections","license":null},{"label":"BBC Nepali: Won the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent (26 May 2022)","url":"https://www.bbc.com/nepali/news-61566558","license":null},{"label":"Republica: Announced his mayoral candidacy on Facebook (17 December 2021)","url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/121771/","license":null},{"label":"Ratopati: Federal ministries cut from 22 to 18 (13 May 2026)","url":"https://english.ratopati.com/story/62672/which-ministries-were-merged-and-which-were-abolished","license":null},{"label":"Republica: criticism","url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/former-bureaucrats-and-senior-officials-question-logic-behind-ministry-over-40-24.html","license":null},{"label":"The Rising Nepal: Fortnightly pay for civil servants, police and army (20 April 2026)","url":"https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/78996","license":null},{"label":"Republica","url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/nepal-becomes-first-in-south-asia-to-introduce-fortnightly-salary-system-28-81.html","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: Stricter customs on goods over Rs 100 from India (19 April 2026)","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/money/2026/04/19/rs100-tax-rule-aimed-at-curbing-small-scale-smuggling-hits-daily-shoppers-at-nepal-india-border","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: 100-point governance agenda (29 March 2026)","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/national/2026/03/29/government-unveils-ambitious-100-point-roadmap-for-effective-governance","license":null},{"label":"Ratopati","url":"http://english.ratopati.com/story/56026/100-agendas-for-governance-reforms-that-reflect-policies-and-programs","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: As mayor: private schools told to give 10% scholarships (5 October 2022)","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/valley/2022/10/05/balen-shah-directs-private-schools-to-provide-10-percent-scholarships","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: As mayor: live broadcast of council meetings, online building permits (19 September 2022)","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/valley/2022/09/19/kathmandu-mayor-balen-shah-s-first-100-days-in-office","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: As mayor: tactile paving, falcha-style bus shelters, new bus routes (13 May 2023)","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/valley/2023/05/13/balen-shah-s-one-year-what-has-changed-in-kathmandu","license":null},{"label":"Republica: Squatter-settlement clearance in Kathmandu criticised by rights groups and opposition (24 April 2026)","url":"https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/govt-to-clear-squatter-settlements-in-first-phase-from-four-kathmandu-locat-22-82.html","license":null},{"label":"The Diplomat","url":"https://thediplomat.com/2026/05/nepals-squatter-evictions-raise-due-process-concerns/","license":null},{"label":"Ratopati: Criticised for rarely addressing the public as prime minister (July 2026)","url":"http://english.ratopati.com/story/59041/what-went-wrong-when-balen-didnt-speak","license":null},{"label":"Onlinekhabar survey","url":"https://www.onlinekhabar.com/2026/07/1969508/in-100-days-people-are-satisfied-with-good-governance-dissatisfied-with-inflation","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: Deleted Facebook post with profanity aimed at foreign powers and parties (3 November 2025)","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/national/2025/11/03/is-balendra-shah-answerable-to-anyone","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: Banned Indian films over an Adipurush line; called the government and court “Indian slaves” (18 June 2023)","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/valley/2023/06/18/indian-films-to-be-banned-from-screening-in-cinemas-in-kathmandu-metropolitan-city-from-monday","license":null},{"label":"Setopati","url":"https://en.setopati.com/political/161280/","license":null},{"label":"Setopati: Threatened to “set Singha Durbar on fire” after a city car was stopped (September 2023)","url":"https://en.setopati.com/political/161681/","license":null},{"label":"Human Rights Watch: Street-vendor crackdown: Human Rights Watch cited disproportionate force (14 December 2022)","url":"https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/12/14/nepal-end-mistreatment-urban-poor","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: Demolition drive against encroachments drew cheers and concerns (5 September 2022)","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/valley/2022/09/05/mayor-shah-s-demolition-drive-draws-cheers-but-concerns-too","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: Thapathali clash","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/visual-stories/2022/11/28/21-injured-following-clash-between-squatters-and-kmc-police-personnel","license":null},{"label":"Setopati: “Don't get emotional, doing business on streets is illegal” (to activist Iih) (27 September 2023)","url":"https://en.setopati.com/political/161824/","license":null},{"label":"Time: TIME100: The 100 Most Influential People of 2026 (15 April 2026)","url":"https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people/2026/balendra-shah/","license":null},{"label":"Time (reported by The Kathmandu Post): TIME100 Next 2023 (emerging leaders) (14 September 2023)","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/national/2023/09/14/kathmandu-mayor-shah-listed-in-2023-time100-next-emerging-leaders","license":null},{"label":"The Kathmandu Post: Wrote and performed “Nepal Haseko” for the film Laaj Sharanam (11 February 2025)","url":"https://kathmandupost.com/movie-review/2025/02/11/balen-s-laaj-sharanam-ost-released","license":null}],"license":{"text":"CC BY-SA 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/","facts":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"},"attribution":"Overview and curated sections written by DigiNepal editors from the cited sources; parts are derived from the Wikipedia article Balen Shah, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Official Portrait of Prime Minister Balendra Shah, 2026.jpg — Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, CC BY-SA 4.0.","cite":"\"Balen Shah\". DigiNepal. Last updated 7 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/balen-shah. Retrieved 21 October 2026.","date_modified":"2026-10-07T11:48:10Z","facts_checked":"2026-10-21","alternates":{"html":"https://diginpl.com/people/balen-shah","en":"https://diginpl.com/people/balen-shah","ne":"https://diginpl.com/people/balen-shah?lang=ne"}}