New Delhi [India], March 27 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended his congratulations to Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah on being sworn in as Nepal’s Prime Minister, saying he looked forward to working closely to advance India-Nepal friendship and cooperation.
In a post on X, PM Modi said Shah’s appointment reflects the trust placed in his leadership by the people of Nepal and expressed optimism that their collaboration would benefit both countries. “Warm congratulations to Mr. Balendra Shah on being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Nepal. Your appointment reflects the trust reposed in your leadership by the people of Nepal. I look forward to working closely with you to take India-Nepal friendship and cooperation to even greater heights for the mutual benefit of our two peoples,” he wrote. https://x.com/narendramodi/status/2037434579351687336?s=20
Balendra Shah was sworn in at a special ceremony at the Office of the President on Friday. President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy after appointing Shah under Article 76(1) of the Constitution. The ceremony was attended by Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, National Assembly Chair Narayan Prasad Dahal, former prime ministers, senior officials, security chiefs and members of the diplomatic community.
As Nepal’s 47th Prime Minister, Balen, 35, is among the youngest to lead the country. Earlier on Thursday, he had also taken the oath of secrecy as a member of the House of Representatives.
A structural engineer by training, known for his black rectangular sunglasses and roots in the underground rap scene, Balendra Shah rose to prominence in 2022 when he won the Kathmandu mayoralty as an independent candidate using the walking stick symbol. He secured 61,767 votes, defeating rivals including Sirjana Singh, who got 38,341 votes, and former mayor Keshav Sthapit of the CPN-UML, who received 38,117 votes.
The first meeting of Nepal’s new Parliament after the recent elections convened on Thursday, with newly elected members taking their oaths. The previous Parliament had been dissolved in September 2025 amid the Gen-Z protest. Senior Nepali Congress parliamentarian Arjun Narsingh KC, the senior-most member of the House of Representatives, administered the oath to MPs at the under-construction multipurpose hall of the Federal Parliament at Singha Durbar.
In the House of Representatives elections held on March 5, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) emerged as the largest party with 182 seats, followed by the Nepali Congress with 38 seats, CPN-UML with 25, Nepali Communist Party with 17, Shram Sanskriti Party with seven, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party with five seats.
Under the Proportional Representation (PR) system, 57 lawmakers were elected from the RSP, 20 from the Nepali Congress, 16 from the CPN (UML), nine from the Nepali Communist Party, and four each from the Shram Sanskriti Party and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. The Election Commission announced the PR results on March 16.
Under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system, the RSP won 125 seats, the Nepali Congress 19, UML nine, NCP eight, Shram Sanskriti Party three, RPP one, and one independent candidate secured a seat.
The House of Representatives, the lower house of the Federal Parliament, has a total of 275 members as per the Constitution, with 165 elected through FPTP and 110 through PR. (ANI)
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