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Balen Shah Elected RSP Leader, Swearing-In as Nepal’s Prime Minister Friday

The RSP’s commanding win after last year’s revolt hands a young outsider a rare single-party mandate for change.

Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party addresses his supporters during a campaign rally in Chitwan, west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP photo by Niranjan Shrestha)
A Rastriya Swatantra Party supporter photographs a friend in front of a large banner depicting party leader Balendra Shah during an election rally in Chitwan, approximately 180 kilometers (112 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, Prime ministerial candidate of the Rastriya Swatantra Party greets his supporters during an election campaign rally in Chitwan, about 112 miles (180 kilometers) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
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Overview

  • RSP lawmakers, following Thursday's oath ceremony for the new House, unanimously chose the 35-year-old Balendra “Balen” Shah as their parliamentary leader, which qualifies him to head the government.
  • The President’s Office set his prime ministerial oath for Friday at Sheetal Niwas, confirming the formal handover of power to the RSP.
  • The RSP holds 182 of 275 seats under Nepal’s mixed electoral system, which delivers a clear majority but falls short of the two-thirds needed to change the constitution.
  • Cabinet talks are underway, with sources saying Shah is likely to name a small team of about 15 to 18 ministers, as party founder Rabi Lamichhane steers portfolio negotiations in a test of internal balance.
  • Shah released a short rap calling for unity hours after becoming a lawmaker, capping an election born of a youth-led anti-corruption uprising in 2025 that reshaped Nepal’s political order.