How Nepal's Gen Z hero Balen Shah lost his political shine in just 150 days
Just 150 days ago, Balen Shah became the PM of Nepal, riding on a wave of Gen Z protests. But governance lapses, diplomatic missteps, mounting crises and his growing distance from Parliament and his own party have dimmed the shine of the youth leader.
In July 2026, communal clashes between Hindu and Muslim groups in the southern districts near the Indian border left three people dead, forcing Shah to deliver his first major public address as PM.
This appeared to be the moment that finally shattered Balen's image as an outsider who could change things.
It has been 150 days since Balendra 'Balen' Shah took office as Nepal's prime minister on March 27.
He looked like a man who had finally broken Nepal's political cycle dominated by the old guard. That image, though, seemingly did not survive even the first 150 days of his rule.
A former underground rapper, structural engineer and Kathmandu mayor, he rode a Gen Z-Wave, the world's first such revolution, that toppled a sitting government.
In the March 2026 election, he defeated four-time Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on the veteran's own Jhapa turf and helped his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) secure a majority.
Young voters who had seemingly never connected with the revolving-door politics of the last 17 years saw in him accountability, energy, and also a break from the old guard.
By July, however, the same generation that carried him into office was back on the streets of Kathmandu, demanding his resignation.
The biggest warning sign, however, is not on the streets but inside the institutions Shah now leads. His growing distance from Parliament and even his own party has raised questions about how he governs, and whether the political alliance that brought him to power is beginning to fray.
The speed of the reversal makes for quite a story. In five months, Balen's popularity has been eroded by a series of crises that overlap.
In April, Shah enforced strict customs rules on goods brought from Indian markets before backtracking.
Balen Shah ordered strict enforcement of customs duties on goods bought across the open border with India.
Anything above a low threshold was taxed, hitting the everyday purchases of ordinary Nepalis who depend on Indian markets for medicines, groceries and household items.
The move triggered immediate public anger. Facing protests, the government quickly reversed course.
Then, in May came a self-inflicted border controversy involving India.
In June came an awkward diplomatic episode involving his own party chairman Rabi Lamichhane, who visited India, and held high-level meetings across the political spectrum. The reception Lamichhane received, made everyone take note.
Balen had refused one-on-one meetings with foreign envoys below the rank of minister, including India's foreign secretary.
Then, on August 10, Shah ended his self-imposed restriction and met Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Maoming separately at Singha Durbar in Kathmandu.
The failures of Balen's governance were also highlighted in July, when a ride-share driver, Ganesh Nepali self-immolated over issues with the municipal police.
Then, public frustration was seen in protests over the government's eviction of landless squatters and informal settlements without adequate rehabilitation.
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