Who is Balendra Shah?published at 00:31 GMT
Azadeh Moshiri
South Asia Correspondent
Image source, gettyBalendra Shah – more commonly known as Balen – is a former rapper who, until January, was the mayor of capital Kathmandu.
His songs have featured prominently in his campaign, and have been heavily critical of Nepal’s political elite.
The 35-year-old was in office as mayor when Gen-Z protests swept the capital, overthrew the government, and paved the way for this election to happen.
Shah, who joined the Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) late last year, has won the Jhapa 5 constituency against KP Sharma Oli, the former prime minister who was forced to resign at the height of the protests last year.
Shah has mostly shunned the press and avoided their questions. We’ve tried to speak to him twice in the past week, and both times he stormed past reporters and cameras.
His critics argue this strategy has allowed him to avoid public scrutiny of his record.
As mayor he was criticised by rights groups of using the police against street vendors in a heavy-handed manner, as he worked to keep roads clear in the capital and crack down on unlicensed businesses. Shah’s campaign has not responded to our request for comment.
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