Fact Check: Balendra Shah Is Not The New Prime Minister of Nepal

Fact Check: Following the recent Gen-Z protests in Nepal, a viral social media post claims that Balendra Shah has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of the Himalayan nation. However, Vishvas News, in its investigation, found this claim to be false. In reality, Sushila Karki has become the new interim Prime Minister of Nepal. She took the oath on September 12, 2025.

What is going viral?

Instagram user 'sofia_bano.7' shared the viral post on September 14, 2025, with the caption, "Balendra Shah became the new Prime Minister of Nepal." See the archive link of the post here.

Investigation

Using keyword searches, we found several credible news reports confirming that Sushila Karki has become the interim PM of Nepal after violent protests in the country.

According to a Hindustan Times report dated September 12, 2025, “Nepal’s Parliament was dissolved after Karki's swearing-in ceremony.”

Senior journalist JP Ranjan, who covers international affairs for Dainik Jagran, also confirmed that Sushila Karki has become the interim PM of Nepal.

Who is Balendra Shah?

Balendra Shah (Balen Shah), the rapper-turned-Kathmandu Mayor, has been hailed as a youth leader and seen as a strong contender for the PM post due to his anti-corruption stance. However, in a social media statement, Shah clarified that he would not take up the interim PM role. Instead, he extended his support to Sushila Karki, stressing that the interim government’s sole purpose is to oversee elections for a permanent government. Political experts suggest this could be a hint that Shah may contest the PM elections in the future.

More fact-checks related to Nepal’s current situation can be read here.

Lastly, we scanned the Instagram account of the user ‘sofia_bano.7’, who shared the fake post and found that the user has over 1700 followers.

Conclusion: Vishvas News, in its investigation, found that Sushila Karki has been appointed as the new interim Prime Minister of Nepal, not Balendra Shah. While Shah's name was among the contenders, he declined the position and extended his support to Sushila Karki.