Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Balendra Shah, the parliamentary party leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has been sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Nepal on March 27. The 35-year-old leader is the youngest- ever elected PM of Nepal.
President Ram Chandra Poudel appointed former Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayor Shah—popularly known as Balen—to the post as per Article 76(1) of the Constitution, the President’s Office said in a statement.
Earlier the RSP, which secured a sweeping victory in the recent parliamentary elections with a near two-thirds majority, elected Shah as its parliamentary party leader, paving the way for him to become the country’s 47th Prime Minister. Prime Minister Shah took the oath of office at 12:34 pm at the President’s Office, accompanied by Hindu rituals. As per the plan, seven conch players will perform Shankha Naad, a ritual believed to ensure the success of auspicious beginnings.
Simultaneously, other rituals will be performed as he takes the oath. A group of 108 Batuks (Vedic priests) will recite Swasti Shanti, while 16 Buddhist monks will chant the Ashtamangala, both considered auspicious in Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
The 35-year-old former mayor is one of the youngest prime ministers Nepal has ever had. A majority of lawmakers elected in the recent elections represent younger age groups, marking a generational shift in Nepal’s politics.
