Kathmandu, March 27 -- Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) Senior Leader Balendra Shah was sworn in amid a special function at the President's Office, Sheetal Niwas, on Friday. President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy.

The swearing-in ceremony included the performance of shankhanaad (blowing of conch shells). In addition, swastishanti recitation was performed by 108 Batuks, while Buddhist monks conducted ashtamangal chanting.

This marks the first time a leader from the Madhesi community has become prime minister.

Shah won the recently concluded March 5 parliamentary elections from the Jhapa constituency-5 under the first-past-the-post system, defeating a heavyweight KP Sharma Oli, Chairperson of the CPN-UML. T...