In the meandering streets of Kathmandu, and in the Terai, whose plains are sunlit, a tectonic trembling is stirring the uproots of the Nepalese “old guard.” When the first rays of light fall upon the Himalayas this Friday, March 6, 2026, the early counting of the General Election may not significantly indicate merely a change in politics, but it is a generation takeover.
Balendra Shah, the 35 year old structural engineer cum rapper by the universal name of Balen is not only no longer the Mayor to the capital city, he is the posterchild to what appears to be a landslide that promises to change the history of the country. His party, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is now topping in more than 110 of the 165 seats directly elected and that too by a great margin of their more than 1300 votes, leaving veteran politicians struggling to find answers.
The Gen Z Uprising Discovers a Voice
It was not going to be business as usual in this election. It was conceived in blood and fire of the protests that shook Nepal in September 2025, when tens of thousands of young Nepalese, dubbed the Gen Z movement, went to the streets to put an end to decades of corruption and stagnation in Nepal. The revolution dethroned the KP Sharma Oli government and the ballot box is completing the protests initiated.
To the common Nepalese voter, it was a matter of pride and not ideology. Samikshya Adhikari, 22, who was waiting outside a counting center in Lalitpur, says, “The same five faces have turned the chair of the Prime Minister in the last thirty years. Balen does not only talk about change, he also looks like us, speaks like us and he even goes to the extent of getting the garbage cleared.
A Giant Falls: The Battle of Jhapa-5Perhaps the most symbolic scene of this election is taking place in Jhapa-5. This is a constituency that has become the personal bastion of former four time Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Balen Shah made a very bold and possibly cinematic decision and made a direct challenge to Oli on his own grounds.
By this afternoon the “Rapper-Mayor” is by a wide margin leading the veteran Marxist leader. The view of a 35 year old in signature aviator sunglasses beating one of the most potent men in Nepali history today is an allegory of the whole election: the past is fading away and the future is coming at a breakneck speed.
Other Than Music and Sunglasses
Although critics tended to downplay the role of Balen as a social media sensation, his campaign laid emphasis on the dustbin, bread-and-butter issues that were overlooked by the established parties. His agenda, which was liberal economics with social justice, offered free healthcare to the poor, total restructuring of the state education system, and, most importantly, employment to prevent the flight of Nepali young population to the gulf and Malaysia.
His fixer image has also been contributed by his background as a structural engineer. As warned with his tenure in the Mayor office, he used to be found on the field at midnight either overseeing waste disposal or clearing squatter settlements. This action-first kind of politics appealed to the population, weary of great rhetoric and empty manifestos.
Dear Gen Z your generation will now have to take the lead of the country. Be prepared.” This was the case around 2025, according to Balen Shah, after the rebellion.
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The Road Ahead: Problems in a New Nepal
Although there was euphoria in the RSP camps, the road to the Prime Ministers office in Singha Durbar is not paved on easy grounds. In Nepal, the electoral system is complex and incorporates 110 seats which are obtained through the Proportional Representation (PR). The RSP is leading the “First-Past-The-Post” (FPTP) count but the ultimate composition of the house of Representatives of 275 seats would rely on the PR vote, which might not be completed yet in one more week.
More so, Balen will be forced to walk the fine geopolitical balancing act between two giants of Nepal, India and China. He has vowed to have a balanced foreign policy but lack of experience in the international arena is an issue that has been questioned by the experienced diplomats.
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