By Admin 
Rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah’s Rashtriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is all set to form the government in Nepal. Pirti has won Nepal’s general elections with a landslide victory, wiping out established parties in the politically unstable country. According to the Election Commission of Nepal, RSP has already won 119 seats out of 165 which are elected through direct voting process. The party is ahead on eight other seats in the House of Representatives elections.
Politics heated up regarding Balen Shah
After this victory of Balen Shah, discussions are also being held about his citizenship and artist, rapper and political image. According to media reports, discussions intensified regarding Balen Shah’s surname. In fact, the matter regarding Balen Shah’s citizenship has heated up earlier also. Till 2006, the surname was recorded as ‘Sah’ in his original citizenship certificate (2006), which was later changed to ‘Shah’. Subsequently, an allegation was filed against Balen Shah in the Home Ministry that he changed his surname without following legal procedures, which could be an offense under Sections 12 and 17(2) of the Citizenship Act, 2063.
With this victory of Balen Shah, there are also discussions about the end of traditional politics of Nepal. Balen Shah was a rapper and then he entered politics. His supporters cite his structural engineering degree and his ‘data-driven’ approach as mayor of Kathmandu as his biggest strengths. Leaving the traditional political path, he adopted the path of social media to connect with the people.
Balen Shah, who is called the leader of GEN-G, started connecting with people through other social media platforms including Facebook. However, his critics call him arrogant. While mayor, his removal of illegal encroachments and strict action against street vendors have been criticized by human rights groups.
The challenge will be to maintain coordination with neighboring countries
After his victory in the elections, there is also a growing discussion on how an actor, who lacks traditional diplomatic experience, will handle Nepal’s relations with powerful neighbors like India and China. His old social media posts, in which he criticized foreign powers, are now a topic of discussion.
India is keeping a close eye on this election. He is hoping for a stable government in the politically unstable Himalayan country so that the developmental partnership between the two sides can be taken forward. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the people and government of Nepal for the successful conduct of elections. PM Modi also said that as a close friend and neighbour, India is determined to touch new heights of peace, progress and prosperity with the people of Nepal and its new government.
Input By : IANS