Who is Balendra Shah?posted at 00:31 GMT
Azadeh Moshiri
South Asia Correspondent
Balendra Shah, better known as Balen, is a former rapper who, until January, was mayor of the capital, Kathmandu.
His songs have featured prominently in his campaign and have been highly critical of Nepal’s political elite.
The 35-year-old was serving as mayor when Gen Z protests swept through the capital, toppling the government and paving the way for this election to take place.
Shah, who joined the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) late last year, won the Jhapa 5 constituency against KP Sharma Oli, the former prime minister who was forced to resign at the height of last year’s protests.
Shah has mostly avoided the press and avoided their questions. We tried to talk to him twice in the past week, and both times he stormed in front of reporters and cameras.
His critics argue that this strategy has allowed him to avoid public scrutiny of his record.
As mayor, human rights groups criticized him for using police heavily against street vendors, while working to keep roads clear in the capital and crack down on unlicensed businesses. Shah’s campaign has not responded to our request for comment.