Rapper-turned-politician 'Balen' sworn in as Nepal's 47th PM
Kathmandu (PTI): Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah 'Balen,' took oath as Nepal's democratically elected prime minister on Friday, around six months after the K P Sharma Oli-led government was ousted in a Gen-Z protest that shook the nation.
The 35-year-old Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) leader was sworn in by President Ram Chandra Paudel at a ceremony at the President's Office in Sheetal Niwas at the auspicious time of 12.34 pm.
Balen, the former mayor of Kathmandu, is the youngest person to be democratically elected to the office in the Himalayan nation, and also the first person from the Madhes region to hold the top executive post.
A unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions featured in his swearing-in ceremony. It comprised elaborate religious rituals, including Shankhanad (conch blowing) by seven brahmins, recitation of Vedic hymns or Swasti Bachan by 108 Hindu Batuks or young brahmins and Mangal Bachan or recitation of Buddhist scripture by 107 Lamas.
Earlier in the day, Balen was appointed as the 47th Prime Minister by President Ram Chandra Paudel in accordance with Article 76(1) of the Constitution.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted Shah on becoming Nepal’s PM. Modi said he was looking forward to working closely with Shah to take forward India-Nepal ties.
“Your appointment reflects the trust reposed in your leadership by the people of Nepal. I look forward to working closely with you to take India-Nepal friendship and cooperation to even greater heights for the mutual benefit of our two peoples,” PM Modi posted on X.
Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old "Roti Beti" relationship.
Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. Nepal's access to the sea is through India, and it imports a predominant proportion of its requirements from and through India.
Balen is the first democratically elected prime minister to be sworn in since the coalition government led by former prime minister Oli was ousted in September last year, following the youth-led Gen Z protest against corruption, nepotism, and a social media ban that escalated into violence.
Following Oli's ouster, former chief justice Sushila Karki took charge as the interim prime minister on the recommendation of the Gen Z group.
Balen was a popular choice to lead the interim government, but declined, saying he would rather head the government by contesting the parliamentary election for a full term.
“Congratulations to the newly appointed Prime Minister, Balendra Shah. I feel all the more elated that a 35-year-old young man is my successor. I extend my best wishes to him. I wish him success in pushing forward the people's mandate with vigour and rigour,” Karki posted on X after the ceremony.
Apart from Balen, other ministers also took the oath at the ceremony on Friday.
Swarnim Wagle took the oath as the Minister of Finance, Shisir Khanal as Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Sudan Gurung as Minister for Home Affairs.
Balen will hold the portfolios of the Defence Ministry and the Industry, Commerce and Supplies Ministry.
Biraj Bhakta Shrestha will oversee the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, and Bikram Timilsina will serve as Minister for Communications and Information Technology.
Pratibha Rawal was appointed Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Ganesh Paudel as Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, and Sunil Lamsal as Minister of Physical Infrastructure and Transport.
Similarly, Gita Chaudhary took oath as Agriculture and Livestock Development Minister, Sasmit Pokharel as Minister for Education, Science, and Technology, Nisha Mehata as Minister for Health and Population, Sita Badi as Minister of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, and Sobita Gautam as Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs.
In the March 5 general elections, Balen defeated four-time prime minister Sharma Oli by a huge margin in the Jhapa-5 constituency, a long-standing stronghold of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist).
The RSP won a landslide victory in the March 5 poll, securing a massive 182 seats out of the total 275 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR), making it eligible to form a majority government.
Balen and the RSP tsunami almost wiped out the traditional parties, with the Nepali Congress winning only 38 seats, followed by the Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML) with 25, and the Nepali Communist Party getting only 17 seats.
Balen is the youngest democratically elected prime minister of the Himalayan nation. Before him, a few young leaders were nominated or appointed, but they were not democratically elected.
Like Tulsi Giri, who was nominated in 1963 as the chair of the council of ministers, a position that was equivalent to that of prime minister by the then-king, was around 37 years old when he took charge.
Significantly, he was not elected but nominated by King Mahendra Shah.
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Punjab CM Mann meets President Murmu, seeks cancellation of membership of 6 RS members
Chandigarh (PTI): Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday met President Droupadi Murmu, demanding the termination of the membership of six Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab who defected to the BJP and also pressed for the introduction of a constitutional provision allowing for the recall of members.
Accompanied by party MLAs and ministers, Mann visited Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
This meeting followed a significant setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on April 24, when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs -- Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- quit and merged with the BJP, alleging that the party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals. Six of the seven MPs who left AAP hailed from Punjab.
After he met with the President, Mann addressed the media here, describing the departure of the seven MPs as a "murder" of the Constitution. He stated, "Seven MPs merging with another party is completely unconstitutional. I spoke to Rashtrapati ji in detail."
Mann pointed out that he told the President that the BJP holds only two MLA seats (in Punjab), yet now has six MPs in the Rajya Sabha. He questioned, "How can this be possible? Isn't it a mockery of the Constitution?
"If they are such revolutionaries at heart, then they should have resigned from their six seats. The AAP could have sent someone else," Mann said, taking a swipe at them.
He emphasised the need for a recall provision in the Constitution, referencing MP Raghav Chadha's previous demands for such a measure when members fail to meet public expectations.
"Have you lived up to the expectations of the people?" Mann challenged the MPs during his statement.
Mann also presented a letter to the President, signed by all AAP MLAs. He differentiated between the terms 'elected' and 'selected,' stating, "They were 'selected.' Therefore, their membership should be cancelled."
The President assured Mann that she would consult constitutional experts before responding.
Earlier in the day, Mann, along with party MLAs, departed for Delhi from Chandigarh.
Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Mann affirmed that all AAP MLAs stand united with the party. "Only I have been given time for the meeting," Mann said.
"The President is the guardian of the Constitution. She is the constitutional head of the country," he added.
Later in a post on X in Hindi, Mann said, "Our struggle to protect Punjab's rights and interests continues. Today, along with all AAP MLAs, I have left to discuss Punjab's burning issues and present the state's strong voice before the President.
As your public servant, our government remains fully committed to Punjab's prosperity and the safeguarding of the rights of every section of society."
The MLAs and ministers gathered at the chief minister's residence in the morning before heading to Delhi, carrying placards that read 'Punjab Mann De Naal' and 'Punjab's Traitors.'
The legislators left for Delhi in buses.
Mann had previously sought an appointment with the President to meet with party MLAs and demand the "recall" of the Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP. However, only Mann was given a time slot for the meeting.
