Balen Shah: Engineer, rapper, mayor, disruptor—Nepal’s next prime minister at 35?

His songs inspired a generation of protest. Now it’s the former mayor of kathmandu Taking on former PM Oli and asking voters to imagine him running the countryKATHMANDU: Everyone wants to take a photo with Balendra Shah.On Sunday, in Jhapa district, a procession snaked along a dusty courtyard in the eastern plains as Nepal prepares for elections on March 5. A volunteer kept the line moving, giving each supporter less than 10 seconds to shake hands, smile, and take photos. “I have a fever, so I came to see Barron.” said a seven-year-old girl. A middle-aged woman admits she left a cardiac exam midway through. “Just to take a picture.”

Barron stood in the center of the crowd – wearing a dark blazer, a trim beard and rectangular black sunglasses. This look became so closely associated with him that stores in Kathmandu once sold out of his favorite frames, and online retailers still sell them under the name “Balen Shah Eyewear.” When the man, known simply as Barron, takes the campaign stage, he is often reflected in the crowd, wearing a black shirt and dark sunglasses. He took off his sunglasses only briefly. “Look at me,” he said. “I love you.” Barun, who turns 36 next month, is contesting the assembly elections from Jhapa-5 KP Sharma OilThe 74-year-old four-term prime minister resigned five months ago after youth-led protests left 77 people dead. Jhapa-5 is located about 300 kilometers southeast of Kathmandu, close to Nepal’s open border with India; Siliguri in West Bengal lies across the border and is an important commercial gateway in the region. Oli leads the Nepal Communist Party-United Marxist-Leninist Party, whose network remains deeply rooted in this eastern constituency. Barun is campaigning under the banner of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, which is less than four years old. The race is against a first-time national candidate who is one of Nepal’s most enduring politicians and one who rarely favors outsiders.Barun was born in Kathmandu, the youngest of four siblings. His father, Ram Narayan Shah, a government Ayurveda practitioner who died in December, described him as “intelligent and simple”, a child who wrote poetry, a habit that continued. Barron studied civil engineering in Kathmandu and later completed graduate work in structural engineering in India. His early life suggested discipline rather than destruction.In 2013, he entered Raw Barz, the most high-profile rap scene in Nepal, and won. His lyrics are poignant and unforgiving, targeting corruption, political stagnation and the succession of power by one man. “He’s not just a rapper, he’s a poet,” one organizer said. “He spoke of the downtrodden.”His songs transcend the underworld. In September last year, on a Discord forum where young protesters discussed who should lead the country after Oli’s resignation, Barron’s name came up more than 16,000 times, making him the most frequently mentioned figure in conversations about interim leadership. Many Gen Z activists see him as their preferred successor. However, he turned down the role and publicly supported former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki. Barron has built his following primarily online, amassing millions of followers across various platforms.“He spoke to our frustrations,” said Srijan Karki, a 23-year-old software developer. “Other leaders gave long speeches. He made direct statements. Even when he’s angry, it feels genuine. “In 2022, Barron ran as an independent and won the mayoralty of Kathmandu, defeating the established party’s nominee by 61,767 votes. He governed in an open and confrontational manner. Bulldozers bulldozed illegal structures and garbage collection in Sinhaduba, where the prime minister’s office is located, was temporarily halted in protest at what he said was inaction by the central government.Protests swept Nepal in September 2025, and anger spilled onto the streets as demonstrators clashed with security forces after the Oli government cracked down. In November, Barron, still serving as mayor of Kathmandu, expressed this anger in a midnight Facebook post: “F*** America, F*** India, F*** China, F***UML, F*** Congress, F***RSP, F***RPP, F*** Maubadi. Together you can’t do anything.” Two months later, he resigned as mayor and joined the RSP. Barron has occasional contact with the media. He rejected Oli’s call for a public debate, instead holding the former prime minister accountable for the civilians killed during the protests. Instead, he relies on social media for outreach. He has built an unparalleled online audience across platforms in Nepal – 3.5 million followers on Facebook, 1 million followers each on Instagram and YouTube, and 400,000 followers on X. The protests in September 2025 changed the political atmosphere in Nepal. Oli resigned as young Nepalis took to the streets over unemployment, corruption and impunity. Barron did not officially lead the demonstrations, but he identified with their tone.Aayal Sah, 23, a first-time voter from Janakpur, made a point of attending his speech after he joined the RSP. “I can’t directly vote for Barron because he’s not running in our district,” Sacher said. “But I will definitely vote for his party.”In the town of Damak in Japa, Bipana Oli, 25, a migrant worker who returned from Kuwait to vote, tied her future to the outcome. “How long I can work in Kuwait will depend on Barron’s victory,” she said. “And the jobs he created.”