Overview
- Balendra “Balen” Shah took the oath on Friday at the President’s Office in Kathmandu at 12:34 pm local time, with President Ramchandra Paudel administering the ceremony that blended Hindu and Buddhist rituals.
- The three‑year‑old Rastriya Swatantra Party holds 182 of 275 seats, enough to form a government under Article 76(1) of the constitution in a chamber filled by 165 direct seats and 110 proportional seats.
- Fourteen ministers were also sworn in as part of a compact cabinet, with key portfolios such as finance, foreign affairs and home filled as Shah begins to staff a streamlined team.
- The election followed Gen Z‑led anti‑corruption protests last September that toppled K.P. Sharma Oli, and an inquiry has recommended prosecuting officials over the deadly crackdown, including the former prime minister.
- Shah, a 35‑year‑old former Kathmandu mayor and the first Madhesi to lead Nepal, faces early public demands for jobs, faster basic services and cleaner governance, even as regional leaders send congratulations and signal support for stable ties.