On veteran rival's turf, Nepal's rapper-turned-leader takes a swing at power
By Sahana Bajracharya
Published on March 2, 2026.
Balendra Shah, a former rapper-turned-politician and the prime ministerial candidate for Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), is challenging four-time prime minister Bipana Oli on his home turf, the Jhapa district from where Oli has won six times during his political career. Shah, who was catapulted into national politics last September after historic youth-led protests swept the country, has canvassed across Nepal, covering almost 50 of the country's 77 districts. His campaign strategy involves heavily relying on social media and a small group of laptops to document public grievances and distilled them into manifesto-like "Promise Letters". If Shah and the RSP are able to take power, it could disrupt the politics of Nepal, which has been plagued by instability by established parties led by Oli.
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