"Sarvapratham, Mata Janaki Ke Prathamsaid Balendra Shah (aka Balen Shah) when he launched his campaign to become prime minister in Nepal. His speech was in Maithili.It is a widely spoken language in Bihar and Jharkhand. And his campaign did not start from Kathmandu or the hills. It originated from Janakpur, the capital of the Madhesi region and the birthplace of Goddess Sita, also known as Janaki.
Rarely has a Nepalese prime ministerial candidate spoken in Maithili in his first major political speech. Maithili is popular in the Mithila region of Bihar and is a language very similar to Bhojpuri. Maithili is also the second most widely spoken language in Nepal.
As vote counting continued in Nepal’s general election held on Friday, the former rapper and former mayor of Kathmandu Valen Shah, just before taking office as Prime Minister of the Himalayan countries.
Balen Shah later emerged as a frontrunner for the position of Prime Minister. Generation Z protests shook Nepal last September About a short-term social media ban. Trends late on Friday showed that Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) holds more than 100 of the 275 seats in the lower house of parliament, with Shah himself leading in the Jaffa-5 constituency against veteran leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxism-Leninism) and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli.
Shah and his RSP Six former Nepalese prime ministers are joining the fight. But political newcomers seem to have overwhelmed the stalwarts. To prove his mettle, Shah is competing directly with former Prime Minister Oli in the eastern Jhapa-5 constituency, former Prime Minister Oli’s territory.
Why Balen Shah’s victory in Nepal matters
Balen Shah’s victory could bring about major changes in Nepalese politics as it would break the dominance of the hill elites, who are mainly from the Brahmin and Kshatriya communities. Local reports claim that Balendra Shah was of Maithili Rajput origin, but experts speaking to India Today Digital said they could not confirm this.
Shah is from the Madhesi community. Madhesi is derived from the word Madhesh, a plain in southern Nepal bordering India.
Born on April 27, 1990 in Naradevi, Kathmandu, Shah is a millennial who breaks away from the group of Nepalese leaders in their 60s and 70s.
His family is originally from Mahottari district of Madhesh province but migrated to Kathmandu.
However, his last name was listed as "Sah” in previous documents before being changed to "Shah”, sparking controversy during his political rise, Lalitpur-based Ratopati News reported.
But for all practical purposes, Balen Shah is the most popular name in Nepali politics today.
Why Madhesi Identity Matters By BALEN SHAH
The Madhesis, who live in the Terai and Madhesh plains of southern Nepal, make up about a third of Nepal’s population and primarily speak Maithili, Bhojpuri, Awadhi, and Hindi, with roots across the border in India, particularly in Bihar.
The Nepalese government recognizes the Madhesis as a distinct group separate from the hill community and provides quotas in education and the public sector to address past marginalization.
Madesis is historically Fought for better political, economic and bureaucratic representation. Through movements such as the Madhesi Andolan, according to The Kathmandu Post. Publications around the world have also documented the Madhesis’ struggle for dignity and equality.
Therefore, Prime Minister Madhesi will be a big event for Nepal.
Nepal’s Madhesi people have maintained historic ties with Indians, working and marrying across borders. In 2020, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized the deep ties between India and Nepal, saying they were bound by ‘roti and beti’.
BALEN SHAH, rebel, hip hopper
Before entering politics, Shah rose to fame as a rapper under the stage name "Balen”, using his music to criticize social issues and political corruption.
His lyrics often speak of urban decline and governance failures, and have resonated with Nepal’s youth.
As an independent candidate in 2022, he surprised the government by winning the Kathmandu mayoral election, defeating candidates from major political parties including Nepali Congress and CPN-UML. The victory established him as a symbol of anti-establishment sentiment.
During his nearly four years as mayor, Shah focused on substantive reforms to solve Kathmandu’s problems.
He has made waste management a priority, solving the long-standing problem of waste disposal by working with private enterprises and the Ministry of Urban Development to dispose of uncollected solid waste.
According to The Kathmandu Post, his administration has improved road traffic control, eradicated illegal encroachments on public lands and replaced old routes with standardized routes.
Setopati, a digital newspaper based in Nepal, cited Shah’s "courage and integrity” in addressing these issues. However, his aggressive tactics, including demolishing illegal structures and relocating squatters from riverbanks, were criticized as being coercive.
But his efforts to restore historic sites and create public parks have contributed to making Kathmandu city cleaner and more organized, The Himalayan Times reported.
BALEN’s governance style appeals to Generation Z, Nepal’s millennial generation.
Balen Shah resigned as mayor on January 18 to join the RSP and contest Nepal’s general elections.
Under a seven-point agreement with RSP chairman Rabi Lamichhane, Shah became the party’s candidate for prime minister, while Lamichhane retained the party leadership.
His campaign emphasized youth empowerment, anti-corruption, and federalism, which appeal to Generation Z and millennials. Some of them were dissatisfied with corruption. Nepal’s slow pace of change.
Shah connected with local voters in Dhanusha and surrounding areas when he addressed a rally at Janakpur in Maithili.
The speech celebrated local culture and the birthplace of Goddess Sita. His speech reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening provincial structures and federalism.
Shah assured the crowd of strengthening federalism, a core demand of the Madhesis, who share socio-cultural links with Bihar, the Himalayan Times reported.
He proved himself as mayor. Now that he is likely to become Nepal’s prime minister, this approach could translate into anti-corruption activism, transparent governance and youth-focused policies, especially after the Gen Z protests that toppled the Oli government.
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