After Nepal¡¯s historic youth-led uprising last September killed 77 people ?and forced then-Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli to resign, a 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician posted a typically terse message to millions of followers on social media.
¡°Dear Gen Z, the resignation of your killer has come,¡± Balendra Shah ¡ª popularly known only as Balen ¡ª wrote. ¡°Now your generation will have to lead the country. Be prepared.¡± Five months on, the musician who cut his political teeth when he became the mayor of the capital Kathmandu in 2022, is dominating the race to become Nepal¡¯s next prime minister after a general election on March 5.
There are no reliable opinion polls ?in Nepal but four political analysts and local media project him as the leading prime ministerial choice, pushing aside the country¡¯s traditional political elite.
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