Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, a Nepalese rapper-turned-politician, has defeated former Nepalese prime minister Sharma KP Oli in the election for the federal parliament.

Nepal, a South Asian country between India and China, had its general election on Thursday.

The election commission announced on Saturday that Mr Shah secured 68,348 votes, defeating Mr Oli, who polled 18,734 votes.

Early results show that Mr Shah’s party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, is gaining more votes.

In September 2025, Mr Oli’s government banned several social media platforms, causing youths to protest.

The protests turned deadly, leaving at least 77 people killed after security forces opened fire on demonstrators.

Mr Shah publicly supported the protests and strongly criticised the government during the unrest, once describing Mr Oli as a “terrorist” who had betrayed the country.

After the protests, the government lifted the social media ban before Mr Oli resigned.

The 35-year-old politician, in his party’s manifesto released in February, promised to create 1.2 million jobs and reduce the large number of citizens leaving the country in search of work.

The party also pledged to significantly raise national income levels, expand healthcare protection, and accelerate economic growth over the next five years.

Mr Shah was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, in 1990 and studied civil engineering before entering the music industry, where his songs often criticised corruption, inequality, and poor governance, including his popular song “balidan,” a Nepali word meaning sacrifice.

He later moved into politics and gained national recognition after winning the Kathmandu mayoral election in 2022 as an independent candidate.

Mr Shah is now in line to become Nepal’s next prime minister if his party maintains its lead.