Balen Shah
Balendra Shah | |
---|---|
बालेन्द्र शाह | |
![]() | |
15th Mayor of Kathmandu | |
Assumed office 30 May 2022 | |
Deputy | Sunita Dangol |
Preceded by | Bidya Sundar Shakya |
Personal details | |
Born | Naradevi-18, Kathmandu, Nepal | 27 April 1990
Political party | Independent |
Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) |
Spouse |
Sabina Kafle (m. 2018) |
Parents |
|
Alma mater | VTU (M.Tech.) |
Profession |
|
Musical career | |
Origin | Sinamangal–9, Kathmandu, Nepal |
Genres | |
Years active | 2012–present |
Labels | |
Website | balenformayor |
Balendra Shah (Nepali: बालेन्द्र शाह), popularly known as Balen Shah or by his stage name Balen, is a Nepalese rapper, composer, structural engineer, and politician. He is serving as the 15th mayor of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.[1][2]
Shah has been a popular figure in Nepalese hip-hop since the early 2010s. Shah announced his candidacy as an independent and was elected at the 2022 local election, defeating Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Singh and CPN (UML) candidate Keshav Sthapit.[3][4][5]
Early life and education
Shah was born on 27 April 1990 in Naradevi, Kathmandu. He is the youngest son of Ram Narayan Shah, an Ayurvedic practitioner, and his wife Dhruvadevi Shah.[6] His parents moved to Kathmandu from Mahottari after his father was posted to Naradevi Ayurvedic Hospital.[4] His paternal ancestral home is in Mahottari's Ekdara Rural Municipality, while his mother's family lives in Dhanusha.[7]
Shah attended V.S. Niketan Higher Secondary School for his 10+2 studies. He received a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Kathmandu–based White House Institute of Science and Technology.[8] Afterwards, he received a master's degree in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) in Karnataka, India.[6]
Music career
From an early age, Shah was interested in music and poetry.[9] He released his first single, Sadak Balak, which he wrote while in the ninth grade, in 2012.[8] He rose to prominence among Nephop fans in 2013 after his appearance on the YouTube battle rap series Raw Barz.[8]
Political career
Shah was involved in the "We For Constitution" movement before the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal in 2015. He had also expressed interest in running for Kathmandu's mayorship in the 2017 local elections but later backed down.[4][8]
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.[3][8] His campaign focused on waste management, road traffic control, anti-corruption, and preservation of cultural heritage of the city.[4]
Shah was elected on 26 May 2022, winning 38.6% of the votes cast. He defeated Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Shrestha and former mayor and CPN (UML) candidate Keshav Sthapit by a margin of over 23,000 votes.[1]
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.[10]
Criticism
Shah has been criticized over the profane and misogynistic elements of his rap lyrics.[11]
Personal life
Shah is married to Sabina Kafle, a public health professional.[8] He lives with his family in Gairigaun, Tinkune.[8]
Discography
Mixtapes
- Yathartha (2019)
Singles
Title | Year | Album |
---|---|---|
Sadak Balak | 2012 | Yathartha |
Atit Ka Samjhana | 2013 | non-album single |
Prahari Pratikar (featuring Nibhal) |
2013 | |
Timi Fool | 2013 | Yathartha |
Tathya | 2013 | |
Aam Nepali Buwa | 2013 | |
Fool Mati | 2013 | non-album single |
Oey Buda (featuring Sacar) |
2014 | |
Nepal Haseko | 2015 | Yathartha |
Man Yo Udyo (featuring Brijesh) |
2016 | |
Marpha Ko Madira (featuring Swachit Shakya) |
2019 | |
Gorkhali Toph (featuring Uniq Poet and MC Flo) |
2019 | non-album single |
Aastik (featuring Kiran and Ranjan) |
2020 | |
Savage | 2020 | |
Local Thito | 2020 | |
Balidan | 2020 | |
Stay True (featuring Vyoma and Dakait) |
2021 | |
Sabai Lai Hataar Chha (featuring Rachana Rimal) |
2021 | |
Maya (featuring Trishala Gurung) |
2021 | |
Hande ft.Balen (by PGGH) |
2022 |
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent | Balendra Shah | 61,767 | 38.6% | New | |
Congress | Sirjana Singh | 38,341 | 24.0% | +1.1% | |
CPN (UML) | Keshav Sthapit | 38,117 | 23.8% | −9.1% | |
Independent | Suman Sayami | 13,770 | 8.6% | New | |
RPP | Madan Das Shrestha | 5,770 | 3.6% | New | |
Others | 2,141 | 1.3% | |||
Total valid votes | 159,906 | ||||
Rejected ballots | 31,280 | ||||
Turnout | 191,186 | 63.68% | −9.04% | ||
Registered electors | 300,242 | [12] | +10.7% | ||
Independent gain from CPN (UML) | Swing | +23.9% |
See also
• 2022 Kathmandu municipal election
References
- ^ a b "'लौरो' बोकेर बालेन बने काठमाण्डू महानगर प्रमुख, को हुन् उनको विजयका सारथि". BBC News (in Nepali). 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ "Nepali rapper Balendra Shah becomes new Mayor of Kathmandu". ThePrint. 27 May 2022. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022.
- ^ a b "Rapper Balen Shah announces to contest for Mayor of Kathmandu". My Republica. 17 December 2021. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d "'Balen' canes parties with the walking stick". The Kathmandu Post. 26 May 2022. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ मोक्तान, रीना (26 May 2022). "र्यापबाटै राजनीति". Kantipur Publications (in Nepali). Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ a b बेलवासे, अस्मिता (26 May 2022). "काठमाडौँका 'लेन'मा बालेन". Nagarik News (in Nepali). Archived from the original on 27 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ "'वालेन जितेर एक पटक गाउँ आऊ'". Gorkhapatra (in Nepali). 25 May 2022. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g सत्याल, मनोज (29 April 2022). "कालो चस्माभित्र लुकेका बालेन शाह". Setopati. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ^ बजगाईं, सुरेन्द्र (2 May 2022). "स्थापित दलका उम्मेदवारमाथि एक्लै भारी बनेका बालेन शाह". Ekagaj (in Nepali). Retrieved 26 May 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "KMC Mayor Balen Shah takes oath of office and secrecy". Khabarhub. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Moktan, Rina (26 May 2022). "र्यापबाटै राजनीति". Kantipur. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
कलाकारका गीतले चेतना मात्र फैलाउँदैनन्, विवाद पनि सिर्जना गर्छन् । स्वयं बालेनका कतिपय गीतमाथि सामाजिक सञ्जालमा असन्तुष्टि पनि पोखिएको छ ।
- ^ "प्रेस विज्ञप्ति" (PDF). Election Commission, Nepal (in Nepali). Retrieved 26 May 2022.