The Tamesis
kathmandu – Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balun, shocked traditional heavyweights in the 2022 local elections by resigning on Sunday to contest snap parliamentary elections on March 5. He stepped down from the country’s largest and most influential mayoral post, three and a half years into a five-year term.
The Election Commission has set January 20 as the deadline to register candidates for the direct election to the House of Representatives originally scheduled for March 5. Under current law, elected representatives who wish to run must first resign.
After resigning, Barron on Sunday visited the RSP office in Banasthali, Kathmandu. He decided to join the Real Socialist Party three weeks ago but did not officially announce the move until he resigned as mayor.
Shah is contesting in the upcoming House of Representatives elections from the 5th constituency of Jhapa district in eastern Nepal. Previously, on December 28, when he reached a seven-point unity agreement with the RSP, the party had decided to elect him as its candidate for prime minister.
In September, representatives of the youth-led Generation Z movement, which led to the ouster of the then UML-Congress coalition government led by KP Sharma Oli on September 9, approached Barun for a request to lead the interim government. He reportedly declined because his political ambitions extended beyond a transitional role and he was focused on winning the election and serving a full five-year term as prime minister.
Barun chose Jhapa-5, a long-standing UML stronghold where four-time Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been contesting. By taking on Oli in his political backyard, Barron has raised the stakes in the contest.
However, it also puts his own record under intense scrutiny: How much has he actually accomplished during his three-and-a-half years as mayor, and to what extent have he delivered on the promises he made ahead of the 2022 election?
Malla K Sundar, a cultural activist and former parliamentarian, termed Barun’s crackdown on illegal construction in Kathmandu and the move to widen roads in the city as major achievements. But he criticized the Shah for limiting himself to a small circle.
“He was elected to a five-year term. But he left office without completing his term, which was a betrayal of the trust of voters to some extent,” Sundar told The Washington Post.
His key commitments include developing the Bagmati Corridor as an alternative to the Ring Road, introducing GPS-based vehicle monitoring and adopting technology-driven waste management solutions.
Initiatives such as using toilets in Kathmandu restaurants as public restrooms and rolling out “infrastructure ambulances” were launched but failed to gain sustainability.
People close to Barron often offer superficial explanations for failed projects. For example, the concept of a public toilet project reportedly stalled after the sudden death of an individual who worked closely on the project.
“This points to a deeper problem: his inability to transcend a small circle of trusted individuals and institutionalize the ideas he championed,” said Ganapati Lal Shrestha, a cultural activist who works for a liveable Kathmandu.
The condition of some historic waterspouts including Sundhara and others has deteriorated. In contrast, Shrestha said, Yangashiti recovered through foreign aid and local cooperation.
During the campaign, Barron emphasized engaging directly with citizens and using his communication skills to solve problems. However, he faces continued criticism for not engaging directly with voters.
Another charge against him is that his efforts to govern Kathmandu appear to prioritize powerful and well-connected interests rather than addressing the day-to-day realities of the city’s most marginalized residents.
He also struggled to maintain a constructive working relationship with Kathmandu City staff and failed to use the development budget effectively.
Despite these shortcomings, analysts believe Barron’s rise sends a powerful message to young voters that it is possible to challenge long-dominant politicians and parties.
Moreover, while he has been criticized for failing to make full use of the development budget, analysts note that the lack of corruption charges against him is significant in a country where corruption is rife. In that sense, they believe his tenure should also be viewed as a positive sign rather than dismissed outright.
For Sundar, the scholarship programs and job fairs launched by Kathmandu Metropolitan City in different government schools are also good initiatives. Viewed in the larger context, however, most of Barron’s initiatives have failed to gain traction.
Meanwhile, other current mayors are preparing to enter national politics.
Bharatpur Mayor Renu Dahal will also contest in the March 5 elections. Dahal, who has been the mayor of Bharatpur since the 2017 local elections, also won the post in 2022. She is the daughter of Pushpa Kamal Dahal, coordinator of the Nepal Communist Party, to which she herself belongs. Party leaders said she is almost certain to contest the elections from Chitwan-3.
Similarly, Dharan deputy metropolitan mayor Harka Sampang also resigned from his post to contest the March 5 elections through his Shram Shanskriti Party.
