How Nepal's Gen Z hero Balen Shah lost his political shine in just 150 days

A political honeymoon that soured

Barely 150 days after Gen Z anger helped propel Balendra 'Balen' Shah to Nepal's top job, the same restless street energy that fuelled his rise appears to be pinning him down. The former underground rapper and structural engineer, who previously served as Kathmandu mayor, now faces pressure from public protests, parliament and his own party, according to reports from both India Today and The Times of India.

Shah became prime minister on March 27 after defeating four-time Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in the March election and leading his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to a two-thirds majority in parliament. The RSP won 182 of 275 House seats, as reported by The Times of India. Young voters saw in him accountability, energy and a break from the old guard, but the same generation was back on the streets of Kathmandu demanding his resignation by July.

From customs crackdown to border disputes

Within months, a series of overlapping crises eroded Shah's popularity. In April, his government enforced strict customs rules on goods brought from Indian markets, taxing anything above a low threshold and hitting the everyday purchases of Nepalis who depend on Indian markets for medicines, groceries and household items. The move triggered immediate public anger and protests in border towns, forcing the government to relax the policy, as reported by India Today and The Times of India.

In May came a border controversy involving India. Shah's suggestion in early June that the UK or historians could help with border dispute maps was rejected by India, according to India Today. The incident drew the opposition's ire in Nepal.

In June, RSP chairman Rabi Lamichhane visited India and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Jaishankar, a trip that India Today described as an alternative channel for India to engage with Nepal. Shah initially refused one-on-one meetings with foreign envoys below minister rank, including India's foreign secretary, but on August 10 he met the Indian and Chinese ambassadors, as reported by India Today.

Domestic crises mount

Public anger intensified in July after 25-year-old ride-share driver Ganesh Nepali self-immolated outside the passport office in Kathmandu following a dispute over municipal action against his vehicle. His death fuelled demonstrations over municipal policing and revived criticism of drives against informal settlements and landless squatters without adequate rehabilitation, according to both outlets.

The government responded to the protests with a probe committee, suspensions and compensation, as reported by India Today.

Violent communal clashes in late July in Sunsari and Siraha in southern Nepal left three dead. The government imposed curfews, and Shah delivered his first major televised address as prime minister appealing for calm, after criticism over his delayed response, according to India Today.

In Pokhara, former Gorkha servicemen continued protesting, demanding a resolution of stalled recruitment of Nepalis into the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme. Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth visited Nepal from August 16 and was conferred the honorary rank, as reported by India Today.

Parliament and party dissent

Perhaps the biggest warning sign is inside the institutions Shah now leads. He attended only five of the first 39 parliamentary sittings since taking office, according to both India Today and The Times of India. Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal directed him to appear and answer lawmakers on August 26.

Shah also skipped a key RSP Central Committee meeting on August 21, going to Mustang instead, as reported by India Today. This distance from parliament and his own party has raised questions about how he governs and whether the political alliance that brought him to power is beginning to fray.

RSP MP Jagadish Kharel criticized Shah's distance from party structures and unilateral style, saying: 'Govt will not survive if only the dignity of the PM is preserved. Our dignity must also be preserved.', as quoted by The Times of India.

A struggle to govern on every front

The challenges facing Shah are not just about street anger or diplomatic missteps; they reflect a deeper struggle to transition from opposition to governance. As India Today noted, 'his decline seemingly doesn't look like an outsider making mistakes. It looks like he is struggling to govern on every front.'