Defeats Former Prime Minister, Rapper Balendra Shah Elected Mayor of Nepal

The Nepalese rapper Balendra Shah has been elected mayor, toppling senior politician and former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. According to the AFP, on Saturday, 7 March 2026, Shah smiled and flashed a V-sign for victory as Election Commission officials confirmed he had defeated Oli in their parliamentary constituency. Shah did not speak after the announcement in the Jhapa-5 parliamentary constituency. He received 68,348 votes, while Oli garnered 18,734. As has been reported, at the end of last year Nepal faced a political crisis with mass protests driven by Generation Z. The protests escalated into deadly clashes across Nepal, with rioters burning government buildings, politicians’ homes and attacking several ministers. Dozens were reported killed in the protests. The crowd forced Prime Minister Oli to resign. Sushila Karki was subsequently chosen as the Gen Z-preferred prime minister in Nepal.