Rapper-Mayor Balen Shah Emerges as Nepal's PM Face for 2026 Polls

• Kathmandu Mayor Balen Shah is projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate for a new alliance with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Nepal's 2026 elections.
• The alliance, led by Shah and RSP head Rabi Lamichhane, aims to challenge traditional parties and has merged with the Ujyalo Nepal Party.
• The pact links to the Gen Z-led protests against corruption and bad governance, with Shah contesting under RSP's bell symbol.
• Balen Shah, a rapper and structural engineer, gained prominence as an independent Kathmandu Mayor and is seen as a leader of the youth movement.
• The RSP, founded by former journalist Rabi Lamichhane, became Nepal's fourth-largest party in 2022, attracting a crucial youth vote.

Why It Matters: Rapper-mayor Balen Shah leads a new youth-backed alliance challenging Nepal's political establishment.