Nepal Protests: The Himalayan country, which boasts the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest is currently reeling under one of its worst periods of unrest or simply put a major political crisis. India’s neighbour, with whom Delhi shares the Maitri bus service that bridges the gap to Kathmandu is witnessing violent protests led by the country’s Gen Z. The uprising has swept across several districts in Nepal, leaving at least 31 dead and over 500 injured. What began on Monday, September 8, as a peaceful march against the recent ban on 26 social media apps has escalated into a full-blown national uprising. The anger over economic mismanagement and deep-rooted corruption, turned violent, forcing Prime Minister KP Oli and four ministers from his cabinet to step down.
Government buildings have been torched, courts vandalised, houses of ministers attacked, police posts overrun, jails broken into and calls for accountability have forced several ministers to resign, with Nepal now eyeing for beginning of a new dawn. It would not be wrong to say that after seeing Monarchy and Democracy, India’s friend is now heading towards the establishment of a new regime.
While Nepal has no leader at the moment, amid the ongoing chaos, three names have emerged as possible contenders for leadership: Balendra Shah ‘Balen’, the Kathmandu Mayor known for his nationalist rhetoric, Rabi Lamichhane, the controversial media-personality-turned-politician and Sudan Gurung, a rising figure assumed as a unifying voice among the agitated youth.
As Nepal stands at a political crossroads, the question is who will lead? In this article, we have tried to understand who can come out as knight in shining armour.
Balendra Shah, The Kathmandu Mayor
The first probable name is Balendra Shah, also known as ‘Balen’, currently serving as the 15th Mayor of Kathmandu. Balen, a rapper with a civil engineering professional degree created history by winning the 2022 Mayoral election as an independent candidate. Many believe that Balendra Shah has brought significant reforms to Kathmandu during his tenure. He cleaned roads, made sidewalks safer for pedestrians, improved monitoring of government schools and enforced strict control on private schools evading taxes. His biggest strengths are his clean image and zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.
In 2023, Time Magazine included him in its list of Top 100 Emerging Leaders, and global media outlets, including the New York Times, praised him too. He is especially popular among youth, making him a symbol of new hope in Nepal’s politics. Recently, he expressed support for the Gen Z-led demonstrations, writing on Facebook that while he could not join due to the age limit of under 28, he fully sympathised with the protesters and urged political parties and leaders not to misuse the movement.
“The rally is clearly a spontaneous movement of Gen-G, for whom even I may seem old,” Shah wrote. “I want to understand their aspirations, objectives and thinking. Political parties, leaders, activists, lawmakers and campaigners should not be oversmart to use this rally for their own interests,” he added.
Rabi Lamichhane, Former Deputy PM
Another prominent name that has emerged amid ongoing crisis is Rabi Lamichhane, former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. The jailed Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Chairperson Lamichhane was reportedly brought out to address the protesters at Nakkhu Prison on Tuesday afternoon. Report suggest that he has been released from the jail, as the video of him seen engaging with the crowd outside the building circulated after being shared by RSP central member Krantishikha Dhital. However, it is yet not officially confirmed whether he has been taken out or not.
Born on 14 September 1975, Lamichhane, is a Nepalese politician who served as the Deputy PM and Minister of Home Affairs of Nepal from December 2022 to January 2023. Before entering politics, he had a remarkable career as a television presenter and journalist that earned him widespread recognition. He rose to fame after setting a new world record by hosting the longest-ever talk show, staying on air for more than 62 hours in 2013 (He doesn’t hold this record anymore). He had called this achievement as his attempt to promote Nepal globally. During the show, Lamichhane interviewed politicians, journalists and celebrities on the theme “Buddha was born in Nepal” and also took phone calls from viewers. This made him a popular name across the country.
On August 11, 2025, the Rupandehi District Court in Nepal ordered Rabi Lamichhane to remain in judicial custody, rejecting his application for release on cooperative fraud. He was arrested from his party office in Kathmandu on 18 October, 2024 by a team from the Central Investigation Bureau on charges of organised crime and misappropriation of cooperative funds.
At the time of his arrest, Lamichhane’s supporters took to streets, chanting slogans like “Give justice to Rabi Lamichhane” and “Stop political vendetta.” Moreover, in a campaign organised by his party on June 21, 2025 had collected over 3.2 million signatures in support of Lamichhane, along with NRs 6.2 million in donations. In 2022 General elections, Lamichhane was elected with a majority of 34,312 votes, defeating incumbent minister of state and Nepali Congress leader Umesh Shrestha.
Lamichhane, who enjoys a diverse support base is no less than a celebrity in the country. In such situation, if he is really released from the jail, there is no doubt that the masses will rally behind him.
Sudan Gurung, Rising Activist
The third name making headlines is 36-year-old, Sudan Gurung, president of Hami Nepal, a youth-led NGO that evolved into a full-fledged civic movement. Hami Nepal’s social media describes Gurung as a philanthropist with over a decade of experience coordinating relief efforts during disasters. His work includes mobilising international funding and donations to distributing emergency supplies in communities hit by earthquakes, floods and landslides.
Reportedly, ahead of the blackout, the NGO used its Instagram and Discord pages to call for protests at Maitighar Mandala on September 8. Videos titled “how to protest”, urging students were shared by them.
His journey into activism is very personal as he began his civic work after the 2015 earthquake, during which he lost his own child. “A child died in my arms. I’ll never forget that moment,” he told The Annapurna Express.
What makes him popular is the strong support the NGO, Hami Nepal has received over the years. The NGO is backed by popular figures of Nepal such as Priyanka Karki, Swastima Khadka, Abhaya Subba, Dr Sanduk Ruit, Manita Devkota and others.
Conclusion
While these are the names that have emerged, only time will tell how Nepal navigates through the crisis and who becomes the next leader of the country. Will a new face rise? Will Gen Z’s favourite make it to the chair, will Nepal find peace without any external interference? These are some of the questions to keep an eye on.
