Understanding Balen Shah’s likely victory as Kathmandu mayor in 5 points

The recent local elections were full of surprises, especially the waves of individual independent candidates leading the polls in various municipalities. Among many, the major hotspot of this movement lies with Balen Shah (also referred to as Balendra Shah or Balen only), a notable singer of a particular music genre called rap.

Balen Shah is also a structural engineer and prides himself on his background. Initially, his candidacy for the Kathmandu mayorship was marked as something of a “joke,” and people have called his winning lead “a fluke.” However, while many have opted for a polarised view on the topic, Kathmandu voters have turned fanatic; the Nepali highbrows do not know what to make of it.