Janakpur [Nepal], January 19 : Nepal's rapper-turned-mayor Balen Shah, who is vying for the post of Prime Minister after the March polls, on Monday started his election campaign from Janakpur.
The senior leader of the Rastriya Swantatra Party (RSP), Balen (Balendra) Shah, was cheered by a sea of followers who chanted "Ab ki baar Balen Sarkar", translated as "This time Balen Government."
Addressing the gathering, the prime ministerial candidate from the RSP promised to strengthen federalism by empowering provincial structures.
"Isn't Janakpur the (Madhesh) provincial capital? Then why do you need to go to Kathmandu? Why can't all (the administrative) works be done here? We will make the province stronger. Kathmandu need not be visited; all the required works will be done here only. Kathmandu should not be a place to demand rights; it should be a place to visit Pashupati and Swayambhunath," Balen said while speaking in Maithili.
Shah urged voters to support the RSP not on the basis of identity but competence.
"A Madhesi's son is becoming the Prime Minister because the right person is coming into leadership, so vote in Ghanti (Bell). The right time has come for you to vote in the Ghanti to make a right choice, to choose the right government," Shah called on the supporters.
He further said the RSP prioritises the protection of temples, ponds and land in Madhesh, urging voters to support the party for the development of both the region and the country.
"In the whole nation, a total of one million tourists arrive on an annual basis. In Ayodhya alone, 10 crore tourists visit every year. Our Janaki Mata alone has that capacity to bring in one crore tourists on an annual basis," the prime ministerial candidate said.
Balendra Shah, the former mayor of Kathmandu, who formally entered politics by resigning from Kathmandu Metropolitan City on Sunday, is set to file his nomination from Jhapa on Tuesday. Shah will be challenging former Nepali Prime Minister and Chairman of the CPN-UML (Communist Party of Nepal- Unified Marxist Leninist) KP Sharma Oli in his hometown.
The former rapper, who won the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, struck a deal on December 28 with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), under which it was agreed that he would be the party's prime ministerial candidate.
As per the seven-point agreement, RSP Chair Rabi Lamichhane will continue as the party's central chairman, while Shah will be presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate.
The RSP had emerged as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment.
Balen has promised to institutionalise the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 is shaping up to be an intriguing contest this time.