Who will lead Nepal? A look at contenders Balen Shah and Rabi Lamichhane

Nepal's political future is being shaped by two emerging figures challenging the establishment. One is Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, a rapper who became the independent mayor of Kathmandu in 2022, winning significant youth support for his anti-corruption stance. He has been a vocal critic of the old guard, stating that one political leader, KP Sharma Oli, "is a terrorist and couldn't be even a human, let alone a leader." The other contender is Rabi Lamichhane, a former TV journalist who launched the Rashtriya Swatantra Party. He briefly served as Deputy Prime Minister before being jailed on fraud charges. In a dramatic turn, protesters broke him out of Naku prison in Lalitpur. Despite the controversies, his supporters still see him as an anti-corruption crusader, making him a significant force in the race for Nepal's top job.