The Risk Taken By Balen Is Publicly Approved. In politics, when someone is willing to leave established traditions and safe paths and take unimaginable risks, history is made. Balendra Shah (Balen), a 36-year-old engineer, former rapper and former mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, has made such a history.
When CPN-UML Chairman and former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli announced that he would contest the election in the supposedly impregnable stronghold, many called it an ‘immature political stunt’ or a ‘suicidal move’ by Oli.
Oli, who won the last election with a margin of 28,576 votes, was considered to be like ‘chewing an iron fist’ for the party without losing in his base area. However, Balen did not just chew that iron fist, but brought a huge storm of 68,348 votes and reduced Oli to 18,734 votes. Balen defeated Oli by a huge margin of 49,614 votes.
From rapper to politics, mayor to prime ministerial candidateBorn in Gaurigaun, Kathmandu, Shah is the son of Ayurvedic physician Dr Ram Narayan Shah and Dhruvdevi Shah. A graduate in civil engineering from the White House Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in structural engineering from the Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology in Karnataka, India, he says he has visited 65 districts of the country in the course of his career.
He seemed eager to convert the popularity of the virtual world into the reality of geography. His vision of development, education, and health work while sitting in the mayor’s chair gave him a nationwide ‘craze’. However, the real test of his political maturity came after the ‘Gen-G’ movement (the uprisings of Bhadra 23 and 24).
Balen could have chosen a safe constituency (like Kathmandu), but he deliberately took the risk of competing with the winner, UML Chairman Oli, with the largest margin of victory. He had said in his circle of friends – If you want to become Prime Minister, you have to defeat the Prime Minister’s candidate.
Meanwhile, he did not limit himself to one constituency for his victory, using his youthful enthusiasm to go out on an unprecedented road show and visit two-thirds of Nepal in a few days. While the country’s top leaders were imprisoned in their own constituencies, for fear of defeat.
Short speech, strong message
Shah, who understands that to win elections, one must win hearts and votes as well as minds, always talks more about development and delivery than politics. After joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he had said at a launch meeting in Janakpur, ‘I am a working person, I will show it by working. Will you allow me to work? The people of Kathmandu gave me an opportunity, and I showed it by working.’
He directly linked political issues to the daily lives of citizens. Explaining the essence of federalism in a language that the common man could understand, he had said, ‘Is there a situation where we have to go to Kathmandu to change the administrative officer of Janakpur? Is it true or not? Not to demand rights, but to go to Kathmandu to visit Pashupatinath!’
When he went to give a speech, he would start a conversation as soon as he got on the stage. His conversational style easily won the hearts of the voters of Jhapa. Along with Jhapa, he won both the hearts and votes of the voters across the country.
Many voters did not know the name of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). They either recognised the bell or did not ring it. They voted on this basis.
Adversity turned into a wave of victory
The battle for Jhapa-5 was not easy. UML’s strong organisation, Oli’s stature, and the lack of an alliance were major adversities for UML’s single vote bank, Balen. However, he had two big weapons in his favour – first, Balen and the unprecedented electoral wave in favour of the new party (RSVP) after his inclusion.
Second, extreme disillusionment with the old parties, who had reached a defensive position after the incidents of Bhadra 23 and 24.
The beginning of a new era
Balen’s victory in Jhapa-5 is not just the victory of an individual or a party; it is the final blow of the people against the old political syndicate that ‘stays in power at all costs’. It has become like a grand alliance of voters against the old parties that are considered power-hungry.
Balen’s courage to tread the untrodden path and take risks has brought Nepali politics to a new path. The question now is not how Balen won the election, but how he carries the weight of this huge public opinion in parliament and potential power.
Together, the challenge is how to unite leaders from diverse backgrounds under one umbrella to speak the minds of voters, transform them into a common culture, and lead the government through the party.