The drums were not political. The conch shells were not ordinary. And when Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah walked toward the oath stage, the ceremony looked less like a government transition and more like a carefully scripted moment filled with Hindu-Buddhist faith and (according to critics) controversy.
The oath-taking ceremony of Balen Shah began with Hindu and Buddhist rituals. Brahmins blew conch shells, and 108 batuks (young novice priests) chanted Swastika recitations as the program opened. Seven conchs were planned to be played exactly at the moment of oath-taking.
The timing itself was not random. The swearing-in was scheduled for 12:34 pm local time (12:19 IST), deliberately chosen because it forms the sequence “1234,” which party leaders described as numerically auspicious. The belief behind the ritual, they said, was simple: work begun under such timing would succeed.
As the ceremony progressed, religious chants continued alongside official proceedings. The 108 Batuks recited Swasti Shanti, while 107 Buddhist monks chanted the Ashtamangala, both considered highly auspicious in their respective traditions. The rituals were performed simultaneously as Balen took the oath.
After taking the oath of secrecy, Balen administered the oath of office and secrecy to his Cabinet members. The new Prime Minister later assumed office at Singha Durbar at around 2:15 pm. A day earlier, he had also taken the oath of secrecy as a member of the House of Representatives.
Backlash over religious rituals
The religious nature of the oath ceremony triggered criticism from civil society groups and commentators who questioned the message it sends in a secular republic.
Political science professor Sucheta Pyakuryal openly criticised the approach. She pointed to Nepal’s constitutional commitment to secularism and also raised concerns about mixing religion with state affairs.
She argued that a representative in secular democratic state must understand that politics, law, education, governance should not be influenced directly by any single religion. She also referenced Jhapa’s diverse demographic composition, including Kirat, Muslim, Christian, and other communities and suggested the ceremony risked excluding minorities.
She warned that what she described as “narcissistic megalomania” could surface when presenting an oath meant to serve all citizens of a secular democratic republic.
Anthropologist Dinesh Pant also voiced concern. He said the ceremony reflected how Hindu symbolism might dominate public institutions. He questioned whether Nepal was beginning to see trends similar to those associated with Hindutva politics in India, and suggested early signs were already visible in Madhesh districts.
From rap battles to the highest office
In 2022, Balen Shah, structural engineer popular for his black rectangular sunglasses and underground rap roots, stunned Nepal’s political establishment winning Kathmandu mayoral election.
Running as independent candidate under walking stick symbol, he secured 61,767 votes. His nearest rival, Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Singh, received 38,341 votes. Former Kathmandu mayor and CPN-UML candidate Keshav Sthapit trailed slightly behind with 38,117 votes.
Four years later, the 35-year-old has risen from local disruptor to one of the youngest Prime Ministers in Nepal’s history.
His rise was not accidental. He first gained public attention in 2013 through the Raw Barz rap battle league. But before contesting the mayoral election, he spent two and a half years preparing quietly. His engineering degree from Himalayan White House College and a master’s in structural engineering from India added technical credibility that appealed to voters frustrated with traditional politics.
A carefully calculated political path
After the death of 77 people during the September protests and the resignation of KP Sharma Oli, Gen-Z activists pushed Balen to lead an interim government. He declined the offer and instead supported former Chief Justice Sushila Karki.
The decision turned out to be strategic. Rather than accept a short six-month interim role, he positioned himself for a full five-year prime ministerial term.
On January 18, 2026, he formally joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party. The very next day, he launched his campaign from Janakpur. In what many called a risky, even foolish, move, he contested from Jhapa-05, the long-time stronghold of KP Sharma Oli.
The gamble paid off. Balen defeated Oli by a huge margin in Jhapa-5, about 500 kilometres from Kathmandu. The result signaled a major political shift.