By Rhea Mogul, CNN
(CNN) — Before he dismantled Nepal’s political elite, Balendra Shah was destroying his opponents in underground rap battles.
More than a decade ago, armed with a microphone and his signature sunglasses, he spat verses about Kathmandu’s corruption, its broken roads, and social inequality. Those in power dismissed it as noise, but the country’s young people were listening.
Today, the kids who streamed his music have grown up; and in nationwide elections last week, they handed the 35-year-old the keys to the country.
Shah, widely known as Balen, is on track to become the Himalayan nation’s next prime minister after youth-led protests toppled the previous government. His Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has made history, securing the largest mandate in Nepal’s modern electoral era.
Shah is expected to take office in the coming days after the formal declaration of results.
“Because of Balen, this nation is happy, tears of joy are flowing,” Sakchyam Sangraula told the news agency Reuters at a celebration rally in Nepal, where cheers and ringing bells echoed over victory chants. “Balen will build this nation, he definitely will.”
Shah is now expected to lead Nepal, a country of more than 30 million people with a notoriously turbulent political scene. The nation has had more than a dozen governments since 2008, when it abolished its 239-year-old monarchy and transitioned to a republic following a decades-long civil war.
Many view his party’s rise as a harsh rebuke of Nepal’s political elite. After years of facing corruption allegations, the establishment’s grip slipped during last year’s anti-government protests, which left more than 50 dead and brought down the communist government of the country’s longtime former leader, KP Sharma Oli.
Social justice rapper
Born in Nepal’s vibrant capital Kathmandu in 1990 to an Ayurvedic doctor and a homemaker, Shah took a wildly unconventional path to the highest seat of political power.
Before entering politics, he trained as a structural engineer, earning degrees in both Nepal and India. Yet, while buried in his studies, he was carving out a bold reputation in his home country’s rap scene.
Channeling the influence of hip-hop icons like Tupac Shakur and 50 Cent, Shah took to the 2013 YouTube series Raw Barz. There, he penned lyrics that shed light on the deep-rooted inequality and systemic corruption plaguing the nation.
His cousin, Prashant Shah, told The Kathmandu Post in 2022 that this drive to highlight local issues started in childhood.
“From a young age, he was dissatisfied with the way the metropolitan city was being run,” Prashant told the Nepali newspaper. “He would often say Kathmandu is beautiful and can be developed into a liveable city.”
That same year, Shah ran for Kathmandu’s mayoral seat as an independent. Relying heavily on a grassroots online campaign, he stunned the political establishment by defeating candidates fielded by the old guard.
“The path ahead is not easy. The real test of our campaign has just begun,” his team wrote in a post on Facebook at the time.
“Please warn us if we go off track.”
Clean-up drives and controversy
Shah’s tenure as mayor was defined by a crackdown on corruption and clean-up drives. He initiated a campaign to demolish illegal structures, live-streamed municipal council meetings to ensure transparency, and pushed for the preservation of indigenous heritage.
He also made headlines for his fiercely nationalist and provocative posture when it came to Nepal’s giant neighbors, China and India.
In June 2023, Shah placed