• By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
  • Tue, 09 Sep 2025 07:21 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
Add as a preferred

Nepal Gen Z Protest: Nepal Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli on Tuesday resigned from his post, after the Gen Z-led protests turned violent across the country. The protesters have torched the President’s House and PM KP Oli’s private residence in Kathmandu, along with several other government offices. 

Following the resignation of KP Oli as Nepal's Prime Minister, all eyes are now on Kathmandu Mayor, Balendra Shah, who is speculated to be the number one contender to succeed as the new Prime Minister. 

In a Facebook post, Shah acknowledged that the current movement in Nepal is entirely a ‘Gen Z Protest’ and wrote, "Dear Gen Z, your demand for the resignation of the government has been met. Now it is time to remain restrained."

ALSO READ: Nepal's Former First Lady Dies After Protesters Set Her Kathmandu Home Ablaze Amid Escalating Violence

Shah urged the protestors to proceed cautiously before carrying out further destruction to public properties and to engage constructively. "The 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." 

He further mentioned the possibility of discussions with the Chief of Army Staff, noting, "But remember - such dialogue should take place only after the dissolution of Parliament."

Who is Balendra Shah?

Balendra Shah, fondly known as Balen, is the mayor of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City. Born in 1990, Balen, a civil engineer, completed his master's degree in structural engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University in India.

Before joining politics, Balendra was popular in the underground hip hop scene of Nepal as a rapper and lyricist. Through his songs, he has often raised issues about inequality and corruption existing in Nepalese society.

He contested the Kathmandu mayoral elections in 2022 as an independent candidate and won more than 61,000 votes, defeating heavyweights from established political outfits. Balen is currently married to Sabina Kafle and is active on social media, where he actively writes on civic and political issues within Nepal.

ALSO READ: Nepal President Ram Chandra Poudel Steps Down Hours After PM Oli’s Resignation Amid Anti-Corruption Agitation

Overwhelming Support For Balendra Shah on Social Media

Following the resignation of Prime Minister KP Oli, social media has become very active with people calling out Balendra Shah to assume the leadership of the country in the absence of the Prime Minister: 

Nepal Gen Z Protests:

The Gen Z-led protests in Nepal erupted after the government banned 26 social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X. The protests turned violent on Monday when the police crackdown led to the death of 19 people and injured hundreds. In Kathmandu alone, 18 protesters were killed, many of them students in school and college uniforms.