Nepal Youth Revolt Spurs Political Alliance Between TV Host and Ex-Rapper Mayor for March Election
Rabi Lamichhane, a TV host and chair of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has formed an alliance with Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah ahead of the 5 March election. Shah, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician, will serve as the prime ministerial candidate while Lamichhane maintains his leadership of the RSP.
This political alliance comes in the wake of deadly youth-led protests on 8-9 September 2025 that ousted the government. The protests, sparked by a social media ban, economic stagnation, and corruption, resulted in at least 77 deaths.
Balendra Shah is viewed as a popular figure in Nepal’s political transition. He played a role in forming the interim government led by Chief Justice Sushila Karki following the ouster of former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. Karki held meetings with prominent leaders including Oli, Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Nepali Communist Party coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal, emphasizing that the upcoming election is a shared responsibility and pledging to conduct it in a free and fear-free manner.
Rabi Lamichhane founded the RSP in 2022 and previously served as deputy prime minister and interior minister. Recently, he was released on bail in a case concerning cooperative fraud and organised crime.
The alliance aims to address the demands of Nepal’s younger generation and to promote governance based on national needs rather than personal leadership.
