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Kathmandu: Months after Gen Z youth stormed the streets of Nepal, effectively toppling the KP Oli-led government, the country held its general elections on Thursday, March 5. And on Saturday, March 7, Rashtriya Swatantra Party’s Balendra Shah defeated four-time PM Oli by a huge margin and was set to form the next government in Nepal, decimating traditional political parties in the first general elections after the violent protests of 2025

Balen, 35, secured 68,348 votes against 74-year-old Oli’s 18,734, the Election Commission (EC) said.

Before he entered the political arena, Shah had a strong reputation in the hip-hop scene for his socially aware rap songs.

A rapper before prime minister

Shah first got into Nepal’s hip-hop scene in the early 2010s and released his first single, “Sadak Balak,” in 2012 when he was still in Class 9. The track had garnered huge response for its reflections on the hardships faced by urban youth. It officially marked his entry into the Nephop (Nepali hip-hop) community.

He gained more popularity starting from 2013 when he participated in a battle rap series on YouTube called Raw Barz, which increased his visibility in the country’s hip-hop community.

Through socially conscious themes, Shah’s music had always captured the essence of Nepalese urban life and often directly addressed the country’s struggles with corruption and inequality. One of his most prominent songs is “Balidan,” which translates to sacrifice. It openly critiqued political corruption and resonated with younger audiences, swiftly becoming widely known through social media. It currently has 12 million views on YouTube.

The track had significantly contributed to his public profile before his political career had taken root.

While he had earlier said in an interview that there is “diss culture in hip-hop music” and that he “used to diss politicians,” he went on to become one himself.

Mayor of Kathmandu at 33

At just 33, Shah ran as an independent candidate for the mayor of Kathmandu in 2022 and that move alone had inspired the Nepalese youth to contest political figures often perceived as corrupt and incompetent.

He campaigned on themes of anti-corruption, transparency and accountability, winning over most of the citizens in the city with his popularity as a rapper playing a major role.

Often dressed in his trademark black blazer with black trousers and sunglasses, he constantly kept people interested in his political journey.

Joins RSP to contest general elections

Shah had resigned from his mayoral position in early 2026 and joined the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to contest the general elections as the party’s prime ministerial candidate.

Hailing from a family of mixed Hindu-Buddhist heritage, Shah has made history in Nepal by achieving a series of firsts as Prime Minister. He is the first Maithili-speaker and the first Madheshiya Nepali to hold the office.

Analysts believe that Shah’s arrival gave the RSP a much-needed boost. The engineer-turned-rapper-turned-politician being elected as the next prime minister reflects the public mood of rejection of established parties, with Nepal having had 14 governments in the last 18 years.