Debate Rages Over Balen Shah's Suitability as Prime Minister Amidst Unfulfilled Promises

The debate is currently intensifying over whether Balen Shah, proposed by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) as a candidate for Prime Minister, is a suitable person for the role.

Despite serving as the Mayor of Kathmandu for nearly three years and being 'tested,' many people lack clear information about who Balen is, what kind of person he is, what his political ideology is, and what kind of socio-economic transformation he intends to bring.

Balen, who suddenly gained prominence after filing his candidacy for the Mayor of Kathmandu, is the son of Ayurvedic doctor Dr. Ramnarayan Shah and Dhurvadevi Shah. Born in Naradevi, Kathmandu, he is currently a permanent resident of Garigaun, Tinkune. His ancestral home is in the Mahottari district in Madhes Province.

Shah's early education was at Jaljala School in Naradevi, Kathmandu, while his higher secondary education was completed at VS Niketan in Tinkune, Kathmandu. He pursued his undergraduate studies at Height House College in Kathmandu, where he studied Civil Engineering.

He is the operator of 'Balen Consulting and Construction Pvt. Ltd.' under his own name, and he is also a rap battle singer.

Although Balen is not from a political background, he has made himself popular among the youth. While not a man of theory, it is not wrong to say he takes an interest in politics. This is because, during the Kathmandu Metropolitan City election, he worked closely with the Bibeksheel Nepali Dal to help Ranzu Darshana win. After Balen became Mayor, his aides—current Home Minister Omprakash Aryal, Bhupdev Shah, Sasmita Pokhrel, and Dhiraj Joshi—were all associated with Bibeksheel.

Now let's discuss the illusion and reality surrounding the branding that Kathmandu has made unprecedented progress under Balen's governance.

To be honest, Kathmandu is cleaner and more beautiful today compared to yesterday. However, none of the plans included in Balen's electoral manifesto for becoming Mayor have materialized. Not only did he fail to start those plans during his three-year tenure, but he also resigned from the mayoral post without uttering a single word about them.

He was not even accountable to the residents of Kathmandu as to why the commitments he made at that time were not implemented. In other words, it would not be an exaggeration to say he promises but does not deliver.

Waste Management and Employment

Although piles of garbage are not immediately visible on the streets and corners of Kathmandu, the commitment mentioned in the manifesto has also not been fulfilled. His long-term plan to convert waste generated by Kathmandu Metropolitan City into organic fertilizer and sell it not only within Kathmandu but also in districts like Dhading and Kavre saw zero progress during his tenure.

The idea of earning money from waste and providing employment to the youth did not even progress to the point of being written on any page other than the manifesto, let alone being implemented.

Nicholas Bhusal, once a close friend of Balen, says, 'Too many boasts from a braggart.' There was talk of installing an 'incinerator' machine to burn waste, but even that was not implemented. And even now, the locals living in Bancharedanda glare towards the valley. The reason is the false assurance of providing employment to the citizens there.

Pollution-Free Kathmandu: In the global view, Kathmandu is currently one of the most polluted cities. This difficult task cannot be accomplished with mere talk. But making commitments that cannot be fulfilled is the height of lying. How can it become Balen City with just sweet talk and false assurances for cheap popularity?

Budget Allocation: Out of the total budget of 15 billion rupees for Kathmandu Metropolitan City, only 6.73 billion rupees appear to have been spent. This budget should have been utilized for physical infrastructure development, tourism, employment, heritage conservation, and trusts, but that did not happen. In other words, he has no plan to spend the budget. Nor does he have any method for budget management.

Compared to the work done by Sunil Prajapati, Mayor of Bhaktapur Municipality, and Chiribabu Maharjan, Mayor of Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Balen's work pales in comparison. Even today, the setting of Patan's Mangalbazar Durbar Square and Bhaktapur Durbar Square is more enchanting and beautiful compared to Kathmandu's Basantapur Durbar Square.

Even Kathmandu residents say 'Aha' when they go to wander around Mangalbazar in the evening. They are mesmerized when they visit Bhaktapur on holidays. Despite this, one reason for Balen's popularity among the younger generation is the systematic investment made in building his image on social media.

We already know that image is something that is constructed. Narendra Modi, once known as the 'Hero of the Gujarat Riots,' later transformed into a 'Man of Development.' Similarly, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, once placed on the US's Most Wanted Terrorist list, later became known as a benevolent president.

And there is another side to this. The style of governance of leaders from old political parties has also fertilized his image building.

Now let's talk about political consciousness. Being interested in politics and doing politics are two different things. Balen is fresh in Nepali politics. He will learn as he goes. However, the minimum political etiquette is not visible in Balen. Statements like 'I will burn down Singha Durbar' or 'I will bury the country's leaders in Sisdol' expose a character that disregards rules, laws, institutions, processes, and acknowledges no one but himself.

The election will decide whether the public gives Balen a chance to become Prime Minister or not. But even after being declared the Prime Ministerial candidate by the RSP, he lacks the courage, honesty, patience, tolerance, equanimity, and judicial wisdom that a leader should possess. Balen appears afflicted by the mentality that 'I am supreme, my writing is universally accepted.' Where will such a frightening mindset lead the country?

If the politics do not change by changing the character, we will not be moving towards good governance but rather towards an increasingly dire situation.

If the false promises made as Mayor are treated as commitments for becoming Prime Minister, it is not only an injustice to the citizens but is certain to be a betrayal of the public mandate. However, it seems that the social media algorithm will trap many in their own echo chambers rather than allowing them to think critically and possess critical political awareness.

Let's discuss some of the theoretical knowledge Balen possesses. During his election campaign, Balen suddenly appeared as a Madhesi advocate when he went to Janakpur. He hid his identity while serving as Mayor but became an identity advocate upon reaching Janakpur. During the election campaign, he echoed what Madhav Kumar Nepal once said: 'How can I send people abroad without a 'dheuwa' (a local term implying money/resources)?'

Balen, following the same pattern, says, 'How can I send people to study abroad without a 'dheuwa'?' The question arising here is that to send people abroad to study without money, our schools and colleges must improve the quality of education hundreds of times more than the current standard. If the government is to send students, it cannot only send students from Madhes.

Where does the entire Madhes stand today in terms of educational qualifications? This also needs to be understood. What is the feasibility of sending students from across the country abroad to study?

It is better to look at the ground one stands on than to make popular statements and become a populist.

A leader needs psychological wins. One might not even know if they can be a leader. When the public is enthusiastic about change, simply saying 'I want to be Prime Minister' is not enough. To prove oneself worthy of the Prime Ministerial post, one must stand firm and pass the test of scrutiny from the questions directed at them.

The relationship between businessmen and politicians is not new in Nepali politics. It is a new variant of an old disease. Previously, the belief was that political figures should not make any deals with businessmen as interests would clash. Relationships between businessmen and politicians would continue secretly. Today, businessmen openly give cash and goods to political figures, and that too for the post of Prime Minister.

As Balen campaigns to sit at the apex of the country's governance, his relationship with a specific businessman has exposed future apprehensions.

In the past, political parties and their leaders fostered corruption. They themselves became corrupt, and the country suffered from misgovernance. The momentum of the Gen Z movement, which demands good governance now, has not only been disregarded by Balen's 'Defender scandal' but has also presented the old political culture—which promised salvation from the quagmire of misgovernance with a slogan of good governance—to everyone in a new style.

What specific theoretical frameworks exist for the country? What is the social contract? How should international treaties and agreements be viewed? How is the world progressing today? What should the state provide us, and what should we provide the state? What is the meaning of freedom and sovereignty in the relationship between global and domestic society? Balen has neither written about these things nor faced the media on them.

He seems more interested in what language and psychology to use in Facebook statuses to sell better, rather than what the people want. He believes in personal leadership rather than institutional leadership.

The notion that the individual is strong and that he alone truly represents the people does not establish Balen as a suitable candidate for Prime Minister. How long will it take for him to understand that the Prime Minister's post is an institution? Or whether we will have to endure such a person—only time will clarify that.