Newly appointed Prime Minister of Nepal Balen Shah took the oath of office and secrecy on Friday.
He became the 47th prime minister of the country.
President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy amidst a special function at Sheetal Niwas at the auspicious time of 12: 34 pm today.
The cremony included chanting by 108 priests, blessings by 107 Buddhist monks and conch blowing by seven Brahmins.
This is the first time in the country that the Prime Minister's swearing-in ceremony was conducted reflecting the Vedic-Sanatan tradition.
Shah was appointed as the Prime Minister on Friday morning in accordance with Article 76(1) of the Constitution after the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) secured a single majority.
The RSP won 182 seats in the House of Representatives elections held on March 5.
On Thursday, the party picked leader Shah as the Parliamentary Party leader.
Leader Shah emerged victorious with 68,348 votes from Jhapa Constituency-5 in the House of Representatives elections.
On Thursday, HoR senior-most member, Arjun Narsingh KC, administered the oath of office and secrecy to the members of Parliament.
ALSO READ: Hopes and challenges for Balen
Who is Balen Shah?
Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, was born on April 27, 1990, in Kathmandu.
Shah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Himalayan White House International College, Kathmandu, and a Master’s in Structural Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Karnataka, India. He was also awarded a researcher’s fellowship to pursue PhD studies in Civil Engineering at Kathmandu University.
Before entering politics, Shah had already established himself in Nepal’s hip-hop scene, gaining recognition through the rap battle platform Raw Barz and various underground street rap battles.
Over the years, Shah released numerous rap songs and musical projects. His music often centered on issues such as corruption, social inequality, political instability, unemployment, and the everyday struggles of living in Nepal.
One of his most popular songs is “Balidan”, which means sacrifice in the Nepali language which has garnered millions of views on YouTube.
On December 17, 2021, Shah announced through a social media post that he would contest for the mayoral position of Kathmandu as an independent candidate, a move that captured national attention. He secured a historic victory on May 26, 2022, garnering 61,767 votes. He took the oath of office and secrecy on May 30, 2022.
During his tenure as the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Shah faced several controversies and criticisms. He led a large-scale demolition campaign against the illegal structures and removed businesses operating in areas designated for parking.
In 2022, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s efforts to clear squatters from the banks of the Bagmati River led to violent clashes that left over 20 people injured.
In 2023, Shah imposed a temporary ban on Indian films in Kathmandu following controversy over the portrayal of Sita as “India’s daughter” in the film Adipurush. The ban was later lifted by the Patan High Court.
On December 28, 2025, Shah joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and resigned as Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City on January 18, 2026 to contest the House of Representatives elections as the party’s candidate for prime minister.
He contested the election from Jhapa-5, a stronghold of former Prime Minister CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli.
Shah achieved a resounding triumph, defeating Oli with a margin of 49,614 votes. Shah secured 68,348 votes, while Oli obtained 18,734 votes.
The RSP also secured a landslide, winning 182 seats in the 275 First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) seats and 57 seats under the proportional representation category.
The snap election was held six months after the Gen Z protests on September 8–9, 2025, which left 77 people dead, many of them shot by police. The protests ultimately toppled the Oli-led government.
ALSO READ: Balen: An unresolved mystery
