A day after protests erupted in Nepal over the banning of social media platforms, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned. This came after at least 19 people were killed after protestors and the police clashed, with several others sustaining injuries.

Amid the anti-government protests, a new face being backed by some of the Gen Z protestors is Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah, also known as ‘Balen’.

Shah, who stood in support of the Gen Z protestors, started trending after the government rolled back the ban on social media platforms.

Several users on social media said that Balen represented the “voice of a new generation”, adding that he would work for the “good of the country without personal interest.”

“Dear Balen, the time is now…Please step forward and take lead. Whole Nepal is with you,” a user said on X. Another said that if Balen does become the next prime minister, it would mark a “generational shift”.

“From mayor to national leader, his anti-corruption image and student support make him the natural face of this movement. Nepal could be witnessing the birth of a new political era,” the user added.

A user stated that Balen Shah being touted as the next PM shows what happens when “youth anger meets a credible face.” While calling him a “symbol of change”, the user highlighted his “anti-corruption stance” and his support of the students.

Engineer, rapper, Gen Z supporter: Who is Balen Shah?

Born in 1990 in Kathmandu, Balen is currently the mayor of the metropolitan city. He has studied civil engineering in Nepal, and holds a master’s degree in structural engineering from India’s Visvesvaraya Technological University, NDTV reported.

Shah has, in the past, actively worked as a rapper in lyricist in Nepal’s hip-hop scene, and included social issues like inequality and corruption in his music.

He contested the mayoral elections in Kathmandu in 2022 as an independent candidate, securing a victory with more than 61,000 votes.

After Oli’s resignation, Shah urged the Gen Z protestors to “remain restrained”. In a Facebook post, Shah said, “he loss of the country’s wealth is, in reality, a loss to our own property. It is now essential that we all act with restraint.”