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Kathmandu Mayor Balen Joins Party, Eyes Nepal Prime Minister Role

Is the Balen-RSP alliance a genuine reform breakthrough, or just political opportunism masquerading as youth movement?
Kathmandu Mayor Balen Joins Party, Eyes Nepal Prime Minister Role
Above: Nepalese President Ram Chandra Poudel and Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah participated in the opening day of the Indra Jatra festival chariot procession at Kathmandu Durbar Square on Sept. 6, 2025. Image credit: Safal Prakash Shrestha/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Spin

Narrative A

The alliance between Balen and the RSP represents a genuine political breakthrough driven by youth-led anti-corruption protests that killed 77 people and toppled a corrupt government. This strategic merger unites emerging forces behind a popular 35-year-old leader who helped form the interim government and embodies generational change. Traditional parties now face their strongest challenge in decades as nearly one million new young voters threaten to upend the old guard's three-decade stranglehold on power.

Narrative B

Both Balen and Lamichhane are controversial figures whose alliance amounts to political opportunism rather than genuine reform. Balen rarely appeared publicly during protests and only engaged supporters through social media, while Lamichhane is out on bail for alleged cooperative fraud and organized crime. Established parties with actual experience will prevail because voters ultimately choose proven leadership over hype and legal troubles masquerading as a youth movement.


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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0

© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.

All rights reserved.

Version 6.18.0