Nepal's rapper-turned-mayor Balen Shah begins PM campaign from Janakpur ahead of March polls

Jan 20, 2026

Janakpur (Nepal), Jan 20 (ANI): Nepal's rapper-turned-mayor Balen Shah, who is vying for the post of Prime Minister after the March polls, on Monday started his election campaign from Janakpur. The senior leader of the Rastriya Swantatra Party (RSP), Balen (Balendra) Shah, was cheered by a sea of followers who chanted "Ab ki baar Balen Sarkar", translated as "This time Balen Government. Addressing the gathering, the prime ministerial candidate from the RSP promised to strengthen federalism by empowering provincial structures. Shah will be challenging former Nepali Prime Minister and Chairman of the CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist) KP Sharma Oli in his hometown. The former rapper, who won the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, struck a deal on December 28 with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), under which it was agreed that he would be the party's prime ministerial candidate. The RSP had emerged as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment.