Why Nepal PM Balendra Shah is facing growing backlash inside Parliament

Nepal’s newly appointed Prime Minister Balendra Shah is surrounded by public protests and rage after he remained absent in the Parliament during a crucial discussion on the government’s program and policy for the next fiscal year. Tensions escalated on Wednesday, ultimately leading to protests and walkouts. The lawmakers from the opposition protested inside the House and chanted slogans demanding the Prime Minsiter’s presence.The opposition argued that he can’t avoid direct accountability on important national issues. The obstruction continued, which led to disruption in proceedings in the House of Representatives.The controversy took a major turn after it was announced that, on behalf of the Prime Minster, his finance minister Swarnim Wagle, is going to respond. Opposition leaders present in the house immediately criticised this move and argued that such moves would weaken the parliamentary tradition and democratic accountability.Shah rose to power after the GenZ movement, which took place in 2025, and later became the Prime Minster on March 5, this year. Since his appointment, he is yet to address the Parliament publicly. His repeated absence from the House has raised concerns regarding his democratic accountability. Shah's image was built as an anti-establishment outsider, who took office during a wave of frustration among the public against Nepal’s traditional political parties, years of unstable coalition governments, and corruption allegations.His party’s success was seen as a new beginning for the country after the abolition of the traditional political class that dominated Nepal. However, Shah’s absence in the House has prompted the opposition to warn of parliamentary obstruction if he fails to appear.After coming to power, Shah’s government has already faced a lot of criticism over their decisions where they attempted to restrict activities linked to trade unions and student politics. Later these moves were stayed by the Nepal’s Supreme Court, which marked a significant setback for the new government.According to political observers, this tension marks a larger power struggle in the democracy of Nepal. Although sections of urban youth and anti-establishment voters stand in support of Shah, the opposition leaders blame him for ignoring the institutional norms and relying on populist politics.Over the past decade, the country has witnessed coalition collapses, constitutional disputes, and government changes on a frequent basis. The recent Parliament controversy has now added another concern that whether this government will be able to avoid another instability phase in the fragile political system of Nepal.The opposition parties have accused Shah government of disrespecting the parliament and democracy. The issue further escalated after Shah left the Parliament midway during President Ram Chandra Poudel’s address on the government’s policy and program earlier this week.In a move to defend the Prime Minister, government allies responded by saying that parliamentary rules allow ministers to respond on behalf of the head of government and accused the opposition of trying to corner the government before it settles into office.Shah entered the office with a vision to challenge the old political culture, but the current situation gives a different view of what was expected. With opposition parties now threatening further protests and disruptions inside Parliament, the political atmosphere in Kathmandu is expected to remain tense in the coming days.