AA Edit | Balen Shah Poised To Be Nepal’s Avatar of Change

Refreshing winds of change swept Nepal as it went into polls after youth-led protests had erupted to display the deep-rooted disenchantment that had been building for years under the old regimes. In voting in a 35-year-old politician with a bit of experience in administration as Mayor of Kathmandu, the people have shown the door to the entrenched old leaders of three major political parties who had allowed nepotism to build even as corruption had embedded itself in a system of governance.

A whole new chapter is set to begin in the Himalayan country as Balendra Shah, a rapper who sang angst-ridden songs of revolution, becomes Prime Minister after leading to a resounding victory the Rastriya Swatantra Party, which was formed less than four years ago by Rabi Lamichhane who, as a television personality, had highlighted grievances of the public in a candid talk show.

There was a definitive turn to tired Nepali politics in the decimation of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist- Leninist) that had elected K.P. Sharma Oli as the Prime Minister four times. Gen-Z had come out with a vengeance to put out the old and ring in the new, with the RSP likely to win more than 100 of 165 seats to which there are direct elections, with another 110 parliamentarians to be added on proportional representation.

The voice of change was even louder as Balendra beat Mr Oli in his home turf of the Jhapa-5 constituency by the handsome margin of 50,000 votes. The numbers are whopping considering these are small constituencies that see about 60 per cent of the eligible voters turning up at poll booths, especially because no vehicles are allowed to run on poll day and everyone must walk the invariably hilly terrain to cast their franchise.

Being the first Madhesi belonging to an ethnoreligious group with cultural and historical ties to India to be (soon) elected to the highest office, Balendra Shah’s victory signifies his people of the Terai region of Nepal also revolted against the discrimination they had faced over generations as they were excluded from high public office and in the administration. Of course, Balendra had earlier overcome such obstacles in rising to become the mayor of the capital city.

Nepal is in immediate need of a stable government after the revolt of 2025 when people swarmed the street to vent their anger, which they did in excess in taking out several revered landmarks of the country like the parliament building and other symbols of a repressive government that had shut down the internet to deal with the rising tide of discontent seen on the streets of Kathmandu.

The challenges may be many in turning the small economy of the landlocked nation around but the realisation that it is economic emancipation that is most needed in a country that has few jobs forcing many to work as expatriates, often under stifling conditions to send precious savings back home to family. A time may have come to stop playing all the old games of playing up to China to mock India and choose economic and geographical avenues to spur growth.

There is a more settled look to south Asia now with Bangladesh having chosen a democratically elected government (the Awami League excluded) to move away from the divisive politics of a caretaker chief adviser and Nepal having chosen decisively to trust youth to run the government, which may perhaps become the first one to avoid crippling coalition dharma and run the full five-year term. As Prime Minister, Balendra Shah may have to tone down his belligerent tone and build social harmony while rebuilding a nation.