Imagine this: It sounds like a Cinderella tale. A dramatic, almost improbable ascent of Balendra Shah, Balen, with a touch of narrative elegance. A land once ruled for centuries by hill dynasties and the iron-fisted Ranas, a Himalayan kingdom that shed its monarchy in 2008 only to see its 2015 Constitution ignite protests from the Madhesh heartland—where equal rights remained a distant dream for communities tied by blood, language, and faith to the plains of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Janakpur, the sacred birthplace of Goddess Sita, where the Ramayana’s echoes still resonate across open borders, had long been side-lined in the corridors of power dominated by Pahadi elites.

Balen’s journey from Kathmandu’s streets—where, as a Mayor, he presided over the city’s system of cleaning up garbage, challenged corruption, and became the torchbearer for Gen Z—to Singha Durbar on the auspicious religious festival of “RAM NAVAMI’ today, birth anniversary of Lord Rama, is the stuff of legend: a youthful revolt that toppled K.P. Sharma Oli’s government amid 2025 protests, now propelling a fresh face to power. This is not just change; it is the Terai rising to lead the Himalayas.

Balendra Shah took oath on auspicious Hindu festival of ‘RAM NAVAMI’ amidst the chanting of Swasti Vachan, a Vedic chant rendered by 108 young Vedic students (Batuks). Alongside this, 107 Buddhist Lama Gurus recited auspicious prayers. Additionally, seven Brahmins performed Shankhnaad (the blowing of conch shells), filling the entire ceremony with the sacred resonance of Sanatan Dharma.

The RSP, which had projected Balen as its prime ministerial candidate, secured a commanding 182 of the 275 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR) in March elections, enabling it to form a majority government under Article 76(1) of the Constitution. Of the 275 HoR members, 165 are elected through direct voting, while 110 are chosen through proportional representation.

 To demonstrate commitment to the people, Balendra’s cabinet has taken  100 decisions related to governance and to ease public service delivery, primarily through digitization. Interestingly, prior to his swearing-in, the new Prime Minister released the ‘Jay Mahakali’ rap song to appeal to the religious sentiments of the Hindu population in the country.

Against this backdrop and serene tranquillity of hills in the lap of Mount Everest, history has scripted its most improbable chapter in March 2026. Balendra Shah—affectionately known as Balen, the 35-year-old former rapper, structural engineer, and trailblazing Mayor of Kathmandu—has ascended as Nepal’s Prime Minister who was  sworn in today following his Rashtriya Swatantra Party’s (RSP) landslide victory in the March 5, 2026 general election. A son of Mahottari in the Madhesh Province, he marks........

© Free Press Journal