Youth icon Balen Shah sworn in as Nepal's 47th prime minister
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Kathmandu: Balendra Shah, the Rastriya Swatantra Party's (RSP) parliamentary leader and former Kathmandu mayor known as Balen, was appointed Nepal's new Prime Minister by President Ram Chandra Poudel under Article 76(1) of the Constitution.
The 35-year-old will take oath at 12:34 pm today at the President's Office amid elaborate Hindu rituals: seven conch players for Shankha Naad, 108 Batuks reciting Swasti Shanti, and 16 Buddhist monks chanting Ashtamangala—blending traditions for auspicious success.
RSP's landslide in the March 5 elections—182 of 275 House seats—propelled Shah, elected party leader Thursday. His December 2024 national entry swung youth votes, defeating ex-PM K P Sharma Oli by 49,614 votes (68,348 vs 18,734) in Jhapa-5, the highest tally since 1991.
A 2022 independent mayoral win launched Shah's rise. Born April 27, 1990, to a Madhesi family in Kathmandu, he holds a bachelor's from Nepal and a master's in structural engineering from India's Visvesvaraya Technological University. His expertise shaped practical urban governance as mayor.
This youth-led parliament signals Nepal's generational shift.
(Inputs from IANS)