Anti-corruption songs; ban on Indian movies and ...: What made rapper turned Mayor Balendra Shah, who is likely to be Nepal's next PM, country's most-important leader on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balendra Shah 'Balen' has emerged as the most-important leader in Nepal. Many political analysts are betting on him to become Nepal's next Prime Minister. Popularly known as Balen, 35-year-old Nepali rapper is young people's favourite in the current political crisis. In the past few years, Balen emerged as the country's most-important figure on social media. He boasts of lakhs of followers on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook. Balen is followed by more than 800,000 people on Instagram. He often appears on Instagram and in public wearing a dark blazer and sunglasses. On Twitter, he has almost 4 lakh followers. Using his social media reach, Shah has consistently voiced his support against anti-corruption protests. He reportedly called Oli a "terrorist" who did not understand the "pain of losing a son or daughter" in an Instagram post. Among his rap tracks "Balidan", or "Sacrifice", released in 2020, stands out, with more than 11 million YouTube views for its critique of corruption, social injustice, and governance failures.Analysts say Shah’s tenure as mayor has been marked by anti-corruption efforts, urban reforms, and a strong social media presence.In a Facebook post, 'Balen' has urged Gen Z protesters to exercise restraint following Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's resignation. In the, Belan acknowledged the ongoing protest as "entirely a Gen Z movement" and mentioned that the government's resignation has already been achieved. "Dear Gen Z, your demand for the resignation of the government has been met. Now it is time to remain restrained," he wrote. He also cautioned against further damage to public and private property, adding, "The loss of the country's wealth is, in reality, a loss to our own property. It is now essential that we all act with restraint."Stressing on the younger generation's role in shaping Nepal's future leadership, Shah urged them to engage constructively. He further mentioned the possibility of discussions with the Chief of Army Staff, noting, "But remember - such dialogue should take place only after the dissolution of Parliament."Balen studied civil engineering in Nepal and completed a master’s in structural engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University in Karnataka. Time magazine listed him among its Top 100 Emerging Leaders of 2023. Incidentally, he also came into the spotlight after urging for a ban on Indian movies in 2023.