New Delhi, March 27 — Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his congratulations to Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah after Shah was sworn in as Nepal’s prime minister, saying he looks forward to close cooperation to strengthen India–Nepal ties. In a post on X, Modi noted that Shah’s appointment reflects the trust Nepalis have placed in his leadership and expressed optimism that both countries would reap benefits from enhanced collaboration.
Balendra Shah took the oath 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 Nepal’s Constitution. The event 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 corps.
At 35, Shah becomes Nepal’s 47th prime minister and is among the youngest to hold the office. He had earlier sworn as a member of the House of Representatives. A trained structural engineer with a background in the underground rap scene, Shah is recognizable for his black rectangular sunglasses and the walking stick symbol he used as an independent candidate.
Shah first rose to national prominence when he won Kathmandu’s mayoralty in 2022 as an independent, securing 61,767 votes. He defeated rivals including Sirjana Singh, who received 38,341 votes, and former mayor Keshav Sthapit of the CPN-UML with 38,117 votes.
Nepal’s new Parliament met for the first time after the recent elections, and newly elected members took their oaths on Thursday. 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 oaths to MPs at the under-construction multipurpose hall of the Federal Parliament at Singha Durbar.
In the March 5 House of Representatives elections the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) emerged as the largest party with 182 seats. The Nepali Congress won 38 seats, the CPN-UML 25, the Nepali Communist Party 17, the Shram Sanskriti Party seven and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party five.
Under the Proportional Representation (PR) allocation announced by the Election Commission on March 16, the RSP gained 57 PR lawmakers, the Nepali Congress 20, the CPN (UML) 16, the Nepali Communist Party nine, and four each for the Shram Sanskriti Party and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. In the First‑Past‑the‑Post (FPTP) contests, the RSP won 125 seats, the Nepali Congress 19, the UML nine, the NCP eight, the Shram Sanskriti Party three, the RPP one, and an independent candidate secured one seat.
The House of Representatives comprises 275 members under the Constitution, with 165 elected by FPTP and 110 by PR.
(This report is based on a syndicated feed and is published as received.)
