The Farsight Nepal

PM Balen forms 15-member council; Controversial Sudan Gurung named Home Minister

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Reuters

Ex-rapper Shah sworn in as Nepal prime minister after sweeping election win

The Himalayan Times

Balen Shah sworn in as Prime Minister, forms Cabinet

The Rising Nepal

Prime Minister Balendra Shah administered oath

Online Khabar

President appoints Balen Shah as Prime Minister

The Kathmandu Post

Balendra Shah sworn in as prime minister

The Hindu

Balendra Shah takes oath as Nepals Prime Minister

NDTV

Balen Shah Takes Oath As Nepal's Youngest PM At 35 After Landslide Win

Al Jazeera

Nepals youngest premier sworn in after releasing new rap song about unity

Anadolu Agency

Nepal’s youngest prime minister Balendra Shah sworn in after election landslide

Balendra Shah, 35, was sworn in as Nepal's prime minister on Friday after his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2026/nepals-rastriya-swatantra-party-wins-landslide-victory">won 182 of 275 parliamentary seats</a> in <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2026/nepal-election-sees-turnout-after-deadly-protests">the March 5 election</a> — the first vote since <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2025/nepal-police-kill-in-gen-z-social-media-ban-protests">anti-corruption protests</a> toppled the government in September 2024.

Balendra Shah, 35, was sworn in as Nepal's prime minister on Friday after his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won 182 of 275 parliamentary seats in the March 5 election — the first vote since anti-corruption protests toppled the government in September 2024.

Shah, a rapper and structural engineer, previously served as mayor of Kathmandu before resigning to enter national politics. He is Nepal's youngest prime minister in decades and the first Madhesi — a person from the southern plains bordering India — to hold the office.

Shah, a rapper and structural engineer, previously served as mayor of Kathmandu before resigning to enter national politics. He is Nepal's youngest prime minister in decades and the first Madhesi — a person from the southern plains bordering India — to hold the office.

President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office under Article 76(1) of Nepal's Constitution — the first time the provision has been invoked since the constitution was promulgated in 2015. The ceremony featured conch blowing, recitations by 108 Batuks and chants by Buddhist monks.

President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office under Article 76(1) of Nepal's Constitution — the first time the provision has been invoked since the constitution was promulgated in 2015. The ceremony featured conch blowing, recitations by 108 Batuks and chants by Buddhist monks.

Shah formed a 15-member Cabinet after his swearing-in, retaining the Defense and Industry portfolios himself. Swarnim Wagle, a Harvard-educated economist and former World Bank senior economist, was named finance minister, and Shishir Khanal was appointed foreign minister.

Shah formed a 15-member Cabinet after his swearing-in, retaining the Defense and Industry portfolios himself. Swarnim Wagle, a Harvard-educated economist and former World Bank senior economist, was named finance minister, and Shishir Khanal was appointed foreign minister.

Sudhan Gurung, a prominent figure in the Gen Z protests that <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2025/nepal-pm-oli-resigns-after-deadly-social-media-ban-protests">forced former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign</a>, was named home minister. Shah defeated Oli by a wide margin in Oli's home constituency of Jhapa-5 in the March 5 election.

Sudhan Gurung, a prominent figure in the Gen Z protests that forced former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign, was named home minister. Shah defeated Oli by a wide margin in Oli's home constituency of Jhapa-5 in the March 5 election.

Nepal has had 32 governments since 1990, none completing a full five-year term. The youth-led protests that preceded the election were driven by a lack of jobs and endemic corruption in a country where a fifth of the population lives in poverty and an estimated 1,500 people leave daily for work abroad.

Nepal has had 32 governments since 1990, none completing a full five-year term. The youth-led protests that preceded the election were driven by a lack of jobs and endemic corruption in a country where a fifth of the population lives in poverty and an estimated 1,500 people leave daily for work abroad.

Nepal is stepping into a bold new era with Balen Shah leading a dream cabinet built for real change. The 15-member team brings fresh faces across key ministries — from finance to foreign affairs — signaling a serious break from the old guard. This is exactly the kind of new direction Nepal has needed for years.

Nepal is stepping into a bold new era with Balen Shah leading a dream cabinet built for real change. The 15-member team brings fresh faces across key ministries — from finance to foreign affairs — signaling a serious break from the old guard. This is exactly the kind of new direction Nepal has needed for years.

Ananda Nepali

Pro-government narrative

Appointing Gurung as home minister is a glaring contradiction of everything the RSP promised about good governance. He threatened the president, pushed to scrap parliament and openly said he'd block elections if victory wasn't guaranteed — and now he oversees the very crisis he helped create. This cabinet isn't change; it's the same reckless politics with a new face.

Appointing Gurung as home minister is a glaring contradiction of everything the RSP promised about good governance. He threatened the president, pushed to scrap parliament and openly said he'd block elections if victory wasn't guaranteed — and now he oversees the very crisis he helped create. This cabinet isn't change; it's the same reckless politics with a new face.

Balendra Shah Sworn in as Nepal's Youngest Prime Minister

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Balendra Shah Sworn in as Nepal's Youngest Prime Minister

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Government-critical narrative

Public Figures

Establishment split

CRITICAL

PRO

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