Who is Balendra Shah? Gen Z protestors rally behind Kathmandu mayor for Nepal PM role

Amid growing protests, Kathmandu’s young mayor Balendra Shah, widely known as ‘Balen’, is gaining support from Gen Z demonstrators.

A day after violent clashes broke out in Nepal over the ban on social media apps, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli stepped down. The unrest left at least 19 people dead and several others injured during confrontations between demonstrators and the police.

Amid the turmoil, many young protestors have started showing their support for Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, popularly called ‘Balen’.

The 33-year-old mayor quickly gained traction online after he voiced support for the younger generation and their right to protest. His name began trending once the government withdrew its controversial decision to ban social media platforms.

On social media, many users hailed Shah as the “voice of a new generation,” praising him as someone willing to serve “the nation selflessly.”

“Dear Balen, the moment has come…Please rise and take charge. The whole nation is behind you,” wrote a supporter on X. Another post claimed that Shah as prime minister would represent a “generational change” in Nepal.

“From mayor to a possible national leader, his anti-graft image and popularity among students make him the face of this uprising. Nepal might be entering a new political era,” another user observed.

Others argued that Balen Shah’s sudden rise as a potential PM shows what happens when “youth anger finds a trustworthy leader.” They described him as a “symbol of transformation,” citing his “anti-corruption approach” and close ties with student movements.

Engineer, rapper, Gen Z supporter: Who exactly is Balen Shah?

Born in Kathmandu in 1990, Balendra Shah currently serves as the mayor of Nepal’s capital city. He studied civil engineering in Nepal and later earned a master’s degree in structural engineering from India’s Visvesvaraya Technological University, according to NDTV.

Beyond politics, Shah has made a name for himself as a rapper and lyricist in Nepal’s hip-hop industry, where he often highlighted issues like inequality and corruption.

He entered politics as an independent candidate in 2022 and won the Kathmandu mayoral elections with over 61,000 votes.

Following Oli’s resignation, Shah addressed the Gen Z protestors directly. In a Facebook post, he urged them to “stay calm,” saying, “The destruction of the nation’s resources is ultimately a loss of our own property. We must now move forward with restraint.”