What led to Balen Shah becoming Nepal’s Prime Minister?

After the 2025 Nepalese Gen Z protests displaced traditional political elites, Balen emerged as a leading political figure with his reform oriented approach and opposition to traditional political establishment.

Voters delivered a resounding majority to the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which Shah joined in January 2026, after Gen Z protests toppled the government. He won with over 68,000 votes in his constituency, the highest ever recorded in Nepal's parliamentary election history. Shah was appointed PM on March 27, 2026.

Basically, young people were angry at the establishment, and Balen represented change. Youth voted massively. That's the real story here.