Six months ago, the Nepalese government attempted to restrict access to social media. The decision triggered the most serious political crisis the country had faced in years. Mass protests, initially driven by young people, quickly escalated into riots, the government collapsed, and the country’s traditional political parties lost control of the situation.
The main beneficiary of these events is Balendra Shah, 35 — a former rapper, engineer, and mayor of Kathmandu. In the parliamentary elections, the National Independent Party emerged victorious, and Shah is set to become Nepal’s new Prime Minister. He will be the youngest, and possibly the most popular, head of government in the country’s history.
From Rap Battles to Politics
Shah became well known long before entering politics. In the 2010s, he gained popularity through rap battles on YouTube. His lyrics were political and socially charged: he criticized corruption, inequality, and the power of the old political parties. Among his inspirations, he cited American rappers Tupac Shakur and 50 Cent.
By training, Shah is a civil engineer. He studied in Nepal and India, but developed an interest in politics during his student years. His musical popularity gradually turned him into a public figure, especially among urban youth.
In 2022, Shah unexpectedly decided to run for mayor of Kathmandu as an independent candidate. Nepal’s political life had long revolved around the rivalry between two major parties: the right-leaning Nepali Congress and the left-wing Communist Party of Nepal. Shah was supported by the Bibeksheel (“common sense”) movement, which presents itself as a progressive and anti-establishment force. Against all expectations, he won the election.
A Mayor with Radical Methods
As head of the capital, Shah quickly became one of the country’s most visible political figures. He launched a large-scale campaign to demolish illegal constructions on municipal land, ranging from large commercial complexes to small roadside shops. Municipal police, acting on his orders, dispersed street vendors. An attempt to evict homeless people living along the Bagmati River led to clashes with police, leaving 21 people injured.
Shah also frequently clashed with the central government. In one of the most controversial episodes, he even threatened to burn down Kathmandu’s government district, where the Parliament and the Supreme Court are located. For his supporters, this proved his independence from the old political elite. For his critics, it was an example of dangerous populism.
The “Zoomer Protests”
Nepal’s political situation dramatically shifted in September 2025.The government announced the blocking of 26 social media platforms and messaging services, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, X, Reddit, and LinkedIn. Authorities demanded that technology companies register with the Ministry of Communications and pay a new digital services tax. Critics argued that the real goal was to limit the spread of information about corruption and the luxurious lifestyles of the political elite’s children. Only a few days after the announcement of the ban, mass protests erupted in Kathmandu.
Nepal is one of the youngest countries in the world: the median age is just over 20. Young people form the largest demographic group, while unemployment among them exceeds 20%.
At the same time, up to a third of the country’s GDP comes from remittances sent by migrant workers. In almost every family, someone works abroad, most often in the Gulf countries or Malaysia. Social media and messaging apps are the primary way families stay in touch. The ban on social media was therefore perceived as a direct attack on the daily lives of millions of people.
From Protests to Revolution
Protesters demanded not only the lifting of the ban but also sweeping economic and political reforms, a crackdown on corruption, and the creation of new jobs. The demonstrations quickly escalated into riots. Protesters attempted to storm the Parliament. Police and the army initially used tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets, before eventually resorting to live ammunition. Seventeen people were killed in the clashes.
Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, a veteran of Nepalese politics and a member of the Communist Party, resigned and fled the country. Protesters set fire to the Parliament and Supreme Court buildings, the residences of the Prime Minister and the President, as well as the headquarters of the Communist Party.
The army took control of Kathmandu’s airport, and ministers and members of parliament began leaving the country in large numbers.
By mid-September, the unrest subsided. According to official figures, the crisis left 76 people dead. An interim government was formed and announced early parliamentary elections for March 5. The ban on social media was lifted.
The Main Beneficiary of the Crisis
Balendra Shah supported the protests from the very beginning. He described the ousted Prime Minister Oli as a terrorist and a murderer. The collapse of the old political system and Shah’s immense popularity among young people made him the main beneficiary of the “zoomer protests.”
In December 2025, he officially joined the National Independent Party, the largest of Nepal’s so-called “third parties.” His team from the Bibeksheel movement joined with him. Officially, the party’s leadership remained unchanged, but Shah effectively became its leader and now determines its political strategy.
An Electoral Victory
The final results of the March 5 parliamentary elections are not yet fully confirmed, but it is already clear that the National Independent Party will win more than half of the 275 seats in Parliament, possibly even close to two-thirds.
This is the best result in the party’s history and the first time in decades that a single political force has secured such a dominant majority and can form a government without a coalition.
Formally, voters cast ballots for a party. In reality, they voted for Shah himself. He ran in the same constituency as former Prime Minister Oli and received more than three times as many votes as his opponent.
Populist and Technocrat
Shah’s main advantage is that he is not associated with the old political elite. He is not tied to any rigid ideology or strict party discipline. His style combines populism with a technocratic approach. The most important decisions are made with a small team of specialists, many of whom come from the Bibeksheel movement. Their approach can be described as pragmatic technocracy: experts should make key decisions, not party bureaucracies.
Resistance from the Old Elite
However, such an overwhelming victory does not mean absolute power. In Nepal, the Prime Minister is the most influential political figure, but the system remains parliamentary. Shah’s party dominates the lower house of Parliament, but it is almost absent from the upper house. This means that the new Prime Minister will almost certainly face opposition from the old political guard. After a revolution sparked by the ban on social media, Nepal is entering a new political phase. The key question now is whether the youngest Prime Minister in the country’s history will be able to turn the energy of the protests into real reforms.
