New Delhi, India, March 27: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended warm congratulations to newly sworn-in Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah, expressing optimism for deeper bilateral cooperation between the two neighbouring nations.
In a post on X, PM Modi said Shah’s elevation reflects the trust placed in his leadership by the people of Nepal and highlighted India’s commitment to strengthening its longstanding friendship with Kathmandu.
“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,” PM Modi said.
Shah, popularly known as Balen, took the oath of office at a special ceremony held at the Office of the President. Nepal’s President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath under Article 76(1) of the Constitution following Shah’s formal appointment earlier in the day.
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, diplomats, senior government officials and security chiefs.
At 35, Shah becomes one of the youngest leaders to assume the premiership of the Himalayan nation. Prior to taking office, he also took the oath of secrecy as a member of the House of Representatives (HoR) on Thursday.
A structural engineer and a prominent figure in Nepal’s underground rap scene, Shah reshaped the country’s political landscape in 2022 when he won the Kathmandu mayoral election as an independent candidate. Running under the symbol of a walking stick, he secured 61,767 votes—significantly ahead of his competitors, including Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Singh and former mayor and CPN-UML leader Keshav Sthapit.
His rapid rise from Kathmandu Mayor to the nation’s 47th Prime Minister in just four years marks one of the most remarkable political trajectories in recent Nepalese history.
Meanwhile, Nepal’s newly elected Parliament convened for the first time on Thursday, with members taking the oath of office and secrecy at the under-construction multipurpose hall of the Federal Parliament in Singha Durbar. The previous Parliament had been dissolved in September 2025 following widespread Gen-Z protests.
Senior Nepali Congress parliamentarian Arjun Narsingh KC, the most senior member of the House of Representatives, administered the oath to the new MPs.
In the March 5 general elections, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) emerged as the largest party with 182 seats. The Nepali Congress secured 38 seats, followed by the CPN-UML with 25, the Nepali Communist Party with 17, the Shram Sanskriti Party with seven, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party with five.
Under the Proportional Representation (PR) system, the RSP won 57 seats, the NC 20, CPN-UML 16, NCP nine, and both Shram Sanskriti Party and RPP four each. The Election Commission announced the PR results on March 16.
Under the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) system, the RSP secured 125 seats, followed by the NC with 19, the UML with 9, the NCP with 8, Shram Sanskriti Party with 3, and RPP with 1 seat, while one independent candidate also made it to the House.
As mandated by Nepal’s Constitution, the House of Representatives comprises 275 members—165 elected through FPTP and 110 through PR—setting the stage for the formation of the new government now led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah.
About the Author
