After the youth led-uprising last September in Nepal which toppled the government, the nation is ready for its general elections on March 5.
Among the contesting candidates is 35- years old rapper-turned-mayor Balendra Shah who posted a typically terse message to millions of followers on social media.
“Dear Gen Z, the resignation of your killer has come,” Balendra Shah – popularly known only as Balen – wrote. “Now your generation will have to lead the country. Be prepared.”
Five months later, Balen is leading the race to become Nepal’s next prime minister ahead of the upcoming election.
Four political analysts and local media project him as the leading prime ministerial choice, pushing aside the country’s traditional political elite.
If Shah is able to take power, it would cap a dramatic rise for a man who entered the public spotlight with rap music critical of the establishment and parlayed his popularity to ascend to high political office.
It would also potentially reshape the politics of Nepal, a small Himalayan nation wedged between China and India, that has long been dominated by a handful of established parties.
These include Oli’s Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), which is seen as leaning towards China, and the centrist, Nepali Congress that is considered closer to India.
Balen’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is a centrist newcomer, which has said in its election manifesto it will maintain “balanced foreign relations” with its giant neighbours.
‘Not A Cakewalk’
Some of Shah’s nationwide appeal is driven by the work he has done as the mayor of Kathmandu, where he focused on improving the urban infrastructure, such as waste management, and ensuring the delivery of services like healthcare.
He has also faced criticism, including from Human Rights Watch, for allegedly using police to seize the properties of street vendors and landless people.
Unlike much of Nepal’s political elite comprising veterans from older generations, Shah has made it a habit to largely shun the mainstream press. Instead, it is his prolific social media presence, with over 3.5 million followers on platforms like Facebook, that enables him to connect directly with young Nepalis.
“What makes Balen special is that he stays connected with the youth through his short messages on social media, but it would not be a cakewalk for him after becoming prime minister,” said independent political analyst Puranjan Acharya.
Balen’s Journey
Last December, Shah joined the RSP, led by former TV host-turned-politician Rabi Lamichhane, as its prime ministerial candidate.
In its manifesto, Shah’s RSP has vowed to create 1.2 million jobs and reduce forced migration, in an effort to tap into frustration over unemployment and low wages that have pushed millions of Nepalis to search for work overseas.
The party has also pledged to raise Nepal’s per capita income from $1,447 to $3,000, more than double the nation’s economy to $100 billion GDP and provide safety nets such as healthcare insurance for the entire population – all within five years.
At the national level, analysts foresee that if he is elected, much of Shah’s success will depend on the talent he surrounds himself with to overhaul a moribund administrative system, riven by corruption.
(With inputs from Reuters)
