Balen Shah

Mayor
Balendra Shah
Balen during media briefing in May 2024
15th Mayor of Kathmandu
Incumbent
Assumed office
30 May 2022
DeputySunita Dangol
Preceded byBidya Sundar Shakya
Personal details
Born (1990-04-27) 27 April 1990 (age 34)
Political partyIndependent
Spouse
Sabina Kafle
​
(m. 2018)​
Parents
  • Ram Narayan Shah (father)
  • Dhruv Devi Shah (mother)
Alma materVTU (MTech)
Profession
Musical career
Genres
Years active2012–present
Labels
Websitebalenformayor.com

Balendra Shah (Nepali: वालेन्द्र साह; born 27 April 1990), popularly known as Balen Shah or simply Balen, is a Nepalese rapper, music composer, poet, structural engineer and politician. He is currently serving as the 15th mayor of Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal.[1][2] He is the first independent candidate to be elected as the mayor of Kathmandu.[3]

Shah has been a popular figure in Nepalese hip-hop since the early 2010s. Shah announced his candidacy for Mayor of Kathmandu as an independent and was elected at the 2022 local election, defeating Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Singh and CPN (UML) candidate Keshav Sthapit.[4][5][6]

He is included in Time magazine list of "The 100 emerging leaders who are shaping the future" in 2023.[7]

  1. ^ "'लौरो' बोकेर बालेन बने काठमाण्डू महानगर प्रमुख, को हुन् उनको विजयका सारथि". BBC News (in Nepali). 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  2. ^ "Nepali rapper Balendra Shah becomes new Mayor of Kathmandu". ThePrint. 27 May 2022. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Editorial | Balen Shah's faulty glasses". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Rapper Balen Shah announces to contest for Mayor of Kathmandu". My Republica. 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  5. ^ "'Balen' canes parties with the walking stick". The Kathmandu Post. 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  6. ^ मोक्तान, रीना (26 May 2022). "र्‍यापबाटै राजनीति". Kantipur Publications (in Nepali). Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  7. ^ "2023 TIME100 Next: Balendra Shah". Time. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.