Balendra Shah ( ne, बालेन्द्र शाह), popularly known as Balen Shah or simply Balen, is a Nepalese

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

structural engineer Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants. Their work takes account mainly of safety, technical, economic ...

and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

. He is currently serving as the 15th

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

, the capital of

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

. Shah has been a popular figure in Nepalese hip-hop since the early 2010s. Shah announced his candidacy as an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

and was elected at the 2022 local election, defeating

Nepali Congress The Nepali Congress ( ne, नेपाली कांग्रेस ; abbr. NC) is the largest social democratic political party in Nepal. As per the results of recent local election, ''Nepali Congress'' stands as the single largest party o ...

candidate Sirjana Singh and

CPN (UML) CPN may refer to: * Calpine Corporation, New York Stock Exchange symbol CPN * Canadian Perinatal Network * ''Carnivorous Plant Newsletter'' * Carpinteria (Amtrak station), California, Amtrak station code CPN * Caspian Airlines (Iran), ICAO airline ...

candidate A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for some kind of position; for example: * to be elected to an office — in this case a candidate selection procedure occurs. * t ...

Keshav Sthapit Keshav Sthapit is a former mayor of Kathmandu metropolitan city. He also held the position of minister in Bagmati Pradesh and is a former member of the province's Assembly. Keshav Sthapit was elected as the mayor of Kathmandu in 1997. After the ro ...

. He is the first mayor of

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

to be elected as an independent candidate.

Early life and education

Shah was born on 27 April 1990 in Naradevi,

Kathmandu , pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia , coordinates = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...

. He is the youngest son of Ram Narayan Shah, an Ayurvedic practitioner, and his wife Dhruvadevi Shah. His parents moved to Kathmandu from Mahottari after his father was posted to Naradevi Ayurvedic Hospital. His paternal ancestral home is in Mahottari's

Ekdara Rural Municipality Ekdara (Nepali: एकडारा ) is a rural municipality in Mahottari District in Province No. 2 of Nepal Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घी ...

, while his mother's family lives in Dhanusha. Shah attended

V.S. Niketan Higher Secondary School V.S. Niketan Higher Secondary School is located in Minbhawan Kathmandu, Nepal and schools above 40,00 Current students. V.S. Education Foundation is the outcome of the expansion of an education system aiming to coordinate all the educational acti ...

for his 10+2 studies. He received a bachelor's degree ( BE) in

civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

from Himalayan Whitehouse International College. He also received a master's degree (

MTech A Master of Engineering (abbreviated MEng, M.E. or M.Eng.) is either an academic or professional master's degree in the field of engineering. International variations Australia In Australia, the Master of Engineering degree is a research deg ...

) in

structural engineering Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural engineers are trained to design the 'bones and muscles' that create the form and shape of man-made structures. Structural engineers also must understand and cal ...

from

Visvesvaraya Technological University Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), previously spelled Visveswaraiah Technological University, is a collegiate public state university in Belagavi, Karnataka established by the Government of Karnataka. All colleges in the State of K ...

(VTU) in

Karnataka, India Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...

Music career

From an early age, Shah was interested in music and poetry. He released his first single, ''Sadak Balak'', which he wrote while in the ninth grade, in 2012. He rose to prominence among Nephop fans in 2013 after his appearance on the

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

battle rap Battle rap (also known as rap battling)Edwards, Paul, 2009, p. 25. is a type of rapping performed between two or more performers that incorporates boasts, insults and wordplay. Battle rap is often performed or freestyled spontaneously in live ...

series ''Raw Barz''.

Political career

Shah was involved in the "We For Constitution" movement before the promulgation of the

Constitution of Nepal Constitution of Nepal 2015 ( ne, नेपालको संविधान २०७२) is the present governing Constitution of Nepal. Nepal is governed according to the Constitution which came into effect on 20 September 2015, replacing the ...

in 2015. He had also expressed interest in running for Kathmandu's mayorship in the 2017 local elections but later backed down.

2022 Kathmandu mayoral election

Shah had been mulling over his plans for candidacy since 2019 and on 17 December 2021 announced that he would be running for the mayoral race as an independent candidate. His campaign focused on

waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring ...

road traffic control : ''For the road traffic science, see various articles under Road traffic management.'' Road traffic control involves directing vehicular and pedestrian traffic around a construction zone, accident or other road disruption, thus ensuring the safety ...

public service A public service is any service intended to address specific needs pertaining to the aggregate members of a community. Public services are available to people within a government jurisdiction as provided directly through public sector agencies ...

delivery,

anti-corruption Anti-corruption (or anticorruption) comprises activities that oppose or inhibit corruption. Just as corruption takes many forms, anti-corruption efforts vary in scope and in strategy. A general distinction between preventive and reactive measu ...

, and preservation of

cultural heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...

of the city. Shah was elected on 26 May 2022, winning 38.6% of the votes cast. He defeated

candidate Sirjana Shrestha and former mayor and

candidate

by a margin of over 23,000 votes. Shah was sworn in as mayor on 30 May 2022 and administered the oath of office to other members of the municipal assembly elected at the elections.

Controversies

Shah has been criticized over the profane and

misogynistic Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...

elements of his rap lyrics. In early July 2022, he attracted controversy over the use of a sacred

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

in ''Nephopko Shreepech'', a hip-hop reality TV show in which he served as a judge.

Personal life

Shah is married to Sabina Kafle, a public health professional. He lives with his family in Gairigaun, Tinkune.

Electoral history

2022 Kathmandu local election

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shah, Balen 1990 births Living people Nepalese politicians Nepalese hip hop singers 21st-century Nepalese male singers People from Kathmandu Nepalese singers Male rappers Independent politicians Mayors of Kathmandu Independent politicians in Nepal