Nepal swears in ex-rapper as prime minister

  

Nepal’s rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah has been sworn in as the new prime minister

He issued his victory message in a rap song, urging unity, hours before he was sworn in.

The 35-year-old reformist swept polls this month on a plat

form of youth-driven political change, six months after a de.adly 2025 uprising toppled the government.

At least 77 people were k!lled in the anti-corruption youth uprising, which began over a brief social media ban but tapped into longstanding fury over economic hardship in the nation of 30 million people.

Shah, better known as Balen, released his first public statement since winning the elections stating;

“The strength of unity is my national power,” Shah sang in the song, which has racked up nearly three million views since being released on social media and streaming sites yesterday evening.

Shah had remained silent publicly since his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won the March 5 election in a landslide, winning a commanding majority of 182 in the 275-seat House of Representatives.

He campaigned alongside RSP president, combative television host Rabi Lamichhane, 51, a former deputy prime minister and interior minister, a fellow lawmaker who retains a pivotal role in power.

Shah took the oath of office as the Himalayan republic’s new prime minister this morning.

“My heart is full of courage, my red blood is boiling; my brothers stand with me, this time we will rise,” Shah added in his song, over a video of him campaigning for election.

“May my breath not run out, I will run like a leopard,” he added.