Balendra Shah, popularly known as 'Balen', was sworn in as Nepal's 47th Prime Minister on Friday in a formal ceremony at the Office of the President, marking a remarkable rise from an independent mayor to the country's top political office.
Oath ceremony at President's office
Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shah after appointing him under Article 76(1) of the Constitution.
The ceremony was attended by Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, National Assembly Chair Narayan Prasad Dahal, former prime ministers, senior officials, security chiefs, and members of the diplomatic community.
At 35, Shah becomes one of the youngest Prime Ministers in Nepal's history. His rise has been anything but conventional.
A structural engineer by profession and once associated with Nepal's underground rap scene, Shah first gained national prominence in 2022 when he stunned established parties to become Kathmandu's mayor.
Kathmandu victory that changed his trajectory
Running as an independent candidate under the symbol of a walking stick, Shah secured 61,767 votes, defeating candidates from major parties. Sirjana Singh polled 38,341 votes, while Keshav Sthapit received 38,117 votes.
His victory was widely seen as a rejection of traditional political structures and a shift towards alternative leadership.
Balen Shah, 35 years old, rapper, Engineer takes oath as Nepal's new PM pic.twitter.com/R4vN86R3AH
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) March 27, 2026
Takes oath as MP ahead of PM role
A day before being sworn in as Prime Minister, Shah took oath as a member of the House of Representatives, formally entering federal politics.
New Parliament convenes after elections
The first session of Nepal's new Parliament convened on Thursday following elections held earlier this month. Newly elected members took oath at a ceremony held at the under-construction Federal Parliament building at Singha Durbar.
Senior-most lawmaker Arjun Narsingh KC administered the oath to Members of Parliament.
The previous Parliament had been dissolved in September 2025 amid widespread Gen-Z-led protests.
Rastriya Swatantra Party emerges dominant
In the March 5 elections, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) emerged as the largest party with 182 seats, followed by the Nepali Congress with 38 seats and the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) with 25 seats.
On Thursday, the RSP, which secured a sweeping victory with a near two-thirds majority, elected Shah as its parliamentary party leader, paving the way for him to become the country's 47th Prime Minister.
Shah defeated former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli by a wide margin of 49,614 votes, securing 68,348 votes against Oli's 18,734 in Jhapa-5 in eastern Nepal. This marks the highest number of votes secured by any candidate in Nepal's parliamentary elections since 1991.
PM Modi congratulates Shah
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated Balendra Shah on being sworn in as Nepal's Prime Minister and expressed readiness to work with him to strengthen bilateral ties.
"Warm congratulations to Mr. Balendra Shah on being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal. Your appointment reflects the trust reposed in your leadership by the people of Nepal. I look forward to working closely with you to take India-Nepal friendship and cooperation to even greater heights for the mutual benefit of our two peoples," PM Modi posted on X.
From engineer to national leader
Born on April 27, 1990, in Kathmandu into a Madhesi family that valued education and culture, Shah completed his bachelor's degree in Kathmandu before pursuing a master's degree in Structural Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University in India.
His academic background in engineering gave him a practical understanding of infrastructure, urban development, and public works, which helped shape his governance approach during his tenure as mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
