"Shahi"

#13213194

18 January 2026

Former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, gestures after arriving at the party office of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Kathmandu, Nepal, on January 18, 2026, formally joining the party to contest the March election. The rapper-turned-mayor is presented as the next Prime Minister by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The former rapper, who wins the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the charge of senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah is presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. With candidacy filing scheduled for January 20, Shah prepares to contest from the Jhapa-5 constituency in the March 5 elections, with the declared aim of beating four-time prime minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli in his own constituency. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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#13213195

18 January 2026

Former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, arrives at the party office of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Kathmandu, Nepal, on January 18, 2026, formally joining the party to contest the March election. The rapper-turned-mayor is presented as the next Prime Minister by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The former rapper, who won the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the role of senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah is presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. With candidacy filing scheduled for January 20, Shah prepares to contest from the Jhapa-5 constituency in the March 5 elections, with the declared aim of beating four-time prime minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli in his own constituency. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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#13213290

18 January 2026

Former Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, also known as Balen, rings a traditional bell after arriving at the party office of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Kathmandu, Nepal, on January 18, 2026, formally joining the party to contest the March election. The rapper turned mayor is presented as the next Prime Minister by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). The former rapper, who wins the local election of 2022 from the Nepali capital, also assumes the charge of senior leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). On December 28, Balen strikes a deal with the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) where it is agreed that he will be the next Prime Ministerial candidate from the party. As per the 7-point agreement, RSP chair Rabi Lamichhane continues as the party's central chairman, while Shah is presented as the party's parliamentary leader after the elections and its prime ministerial candidate. The RSP emerges as the fourth largest political force, winning 21 seats in the dissolved House of Representatives within a year of its establishment. With candidacy filing scheduled for January 20, Shah prepares to contest from the Jhapa-5 constituency in the March 5 elections, with the declared aim of beating four-time prime minister and CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli in his own constituency. Balen promises to institutionalize the agenda raised by September's Gen-Z movement. The electoral battle in Jhapa-5 shapes up to be an intriguing contest this time.

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#13212631

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212635

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212636

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212638

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212639

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212640

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212641

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212650

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212651

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212653

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212654

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212655

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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#13212659

18 January 2026

WARSAW, POLAND – JANUARY 17: Iranians living in Warsaw and elsewhere in Poland, joined by local supporters and activists, gather in front of the Polish Presidential Palace to show solidarity with people in Iran and to condemn reported killings of protesters and restrictions on internet access during nationwide unrest, in Warsaw, Poland, January 17, 2026. The demonstration was held alongside similar solidarity rallies in cities across Europe and around the world, as members of the Iranian diaspora and human rights supporters voiced support for the people of Iran.

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