KATHMANDU: National Independent Party mayor Balen Shah has said that his decision to step forward for leadership at the federal level was driven by his inability, as Kathmandu Metropolitan City mayor, to address nationwide issues due to limited authority.
Shah said that while he was serving as mayor, sugarcane farmers from Madhesh were staging protests in Kathmandu after failing to receive payments, yet he was forced to remain a silent observer because the issue fell outside the jurisdiction of the local government. “That helplessness pushed me to move forward to lead the federal government,” he said.
He added that farmers being compelled to protest daily for unpaid dues and victims of loan-sharking (meter byaj) having to travel to Kathmandu in search of justice were signs of deep systemic failure. According to Shah, these realities motivated him to seek leadership so such issues could be addressed from the center.
Criticizing Madhesh-based leaders, Shah said they frequently speak about socialism but fail to implement it in practice. He cited Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s scholarship program as an example, stating that around 20,000 students every year are able to study free of cost at expensive schools and colleges through scholarships. “That is socialism,” he said. “Sending people abroad to sell their labor without money, while talking about socialism, is not socialism.”
Shah also highlighted his achievements as mayor, noting that Kathmandu Metropolitan City helped provide ambulances to 35 municipalities across the country. Questioning what could be achieved at the federal level, he said, “If I could not do everything as Kathmandu’s mayor, I will now show what can be done. If I could help arrange ambulances for 35 municipalities while staying in Kathmandu, imagine what could be achieved by leading the federal government.”
Shah’s remarks come as he signals a broader political ambition beyond local governance, positioning himself as a leader seeking systemic change at the national level.
