Kathmandu – Former Mayor of Kathmandu, Balendra Shah, has been appointed as Nepal’s new Prime Minister.

Mr Shah, popularly known as Balen, took oath of office and secrecy amids an elaborate ceremony organised at Shital Niwas on Friday. 

The swearing-in ceremony included the performance of shankhanaad (blowing of conch shells). In addition, swasti shanti recitation was performed by 108 Batuks, while Buddhist monks conducted ashtamangal chanting.

This marks the first time a leader from the country’s Madhesi community has become prime minister.

Shah won the recently concluded March 5 parliamentary elections from the Jhapa constituency-5 under the first-past-the-post system, defeating a former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chairperson of the CPN-UML. 

A rapper and structural engineer, Shah has got a huge fan following on social media.  He served as mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City from May 2022 until his resignation in January 2026 and entered national politics by formally joining the Rastriya Swatantra Party led by Rabi Lamichhane at the end of 2025.

Following Shah’s swearing-in, President Paudel also administered the oath to 14 other ministers. RSP vice-chair Dr Swarnim Wagle has become the minister for Finance.  Sudan Gurung, who rose to prominence during the Gen Z movement, has become the Minister for Home. Senior RSP leader, Shishir Khanal, has been appointed as Foreign Minister.

Kaski-1. Dipak Sah from Mahottari has taken charge as minister for Labour and Employment.

World leaders congratulate PM Balen

Meanwhile, world leaders and diplomatic missions have extended congratulations to Balendra Shah following his swearing-in as Nepal’s prime minister.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Shah’s appointment reflected the trust of the Nepali people and expressed hope for closer cooperation. “I look forward to working closely with you to take India-Nepal friendship and cooperation to even greater heights,” he said.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Shah on assuming office after what he described as a landslide victory for the Rastriya Swatantra Party. He said Pakistan valued its longstanding ties with Nepal and looked forward to strengthening cooperation for regional peace and stability.

The Embassy of Finland in Nepal also extended its congratulations and expressed interest in deepening the bilateral partnership.

Indian Foreign Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, congratulated newly appointed Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and said he looked forward to working closely with him to further strengthen our traditional partnership.