Balendra Shah Balen is now Nepal's youngest PM
Kathmandu (PTI): Balendra Shah 'Balen' was on Friday appointed as the Prime Minister of Nepal, making him the youngest elected leader to hold the top executive post in the Himalayan nation.
President Ramchandra Paudel appointed Balen, the parliamentary party leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), as the prime minister in accordance with the Article 76 (1) of the Constitution, states a notice issued by the President's Office.
The 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician has also become the first prime minister from the Madhes region.
President Paudel is scheduled to administer oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed prime minister at the President's Office Sheetal Niwas at 12.34 pm, according to Kiran Pokharel, press advisor to the president.
A unique blend of Hindu and Buddhist religious tradition will feature during Balens' swearing-in ceremony. The ceremony will comprise 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, according to sources close to Balen.
He is likely to form a small cabinet with the number of ministers ranging between 15 to 18, the sources added.
Nepal chose former Kathmandu mayor and fresher Balendra Shah 'Balen' – popular only as Balen – and his RSP to form the next government decimating the traditional parties in the first general elections since last year's violent Gen Z protests that sought generational change and corruption-free regime.
The RSP that had projected Balen as the prime ministerial candidate, secured a massive 182 seats out of a total 275 seats in the House of Representatives (HoR), making it eligible to form a majority government under Article 76 (1) of the Constitution.
Of the 275 members of the HoR, 165 are elected through direct voting and 110 through proportionate voting.
On Thursday, all the newly elected members of the HoR took oath.
Balen, the former Kathmandu mayor, defeated four-time prime minister K P Sharma Oli in the Jhapa-5 constituency, a long-standing stronghold of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), by a huge margin.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Udhayanidhi accuses BJP of not releasing funds for TN
Gobichettipalayam (PTI): Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday charged the BJP government at the Centre with not releasing funds to the state and accused it of "snatching" TN's rights.
Addressing a poll rally at Gobichettipalayam in the western Erode district, the DMK youth wing chief claimed the Centre has not released funds to the tune of Rs 3,000 crore for education.
"They (union government) have snatched all our rights," he charged.
With regard to the Centre's proposal for delimitation, he said chief minister M K Stalin was the first person in the country to raise the voice against the union government's move. He claimed that it was a "huge victory" for the INDIA alliance, as the bill was defeated for lack of majority after the opposition voted against it in the Lok Sabha.
Listing out various welfare measures implemented by the DMK government, he said the existing "Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thogai" (monthly financial assistance for women) will be doubled to Rs 2,000 if DMK was voted to power again.
The deputy chief minister charged that the BJP and AIADMK have tried to stall it by moving the court. "At present more than 1.3 crore women have benefited from the scheme", he said.
"Similarly, the breakfast scheme for the government school students will be extended till Class VIII", he said adding "more than 35 lakh college students across the state will be getting free laptops once the DMK government is formed".
Udhayanidhi also pointed out at the "Illatharasi" poll promise, providing Rs 8,000 worth of coupons to non-income tax paying women where they could buy or replace any household appliances of their choice.
Elections to 234 Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu will be held on April 23 and the results declared on May 4 following counting of polled votes.
