Kathmandu, Nov. 3 -- In 2022, independent candidate Balendra Shah took Nepali politics by storm after beating contenders from the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML in the local polls to become the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. It was a remarkable feat for a rapper more adept at throwing jibes and disses rather than at political rhetoric.

Following his election, Shah attracted more attention when he urged hotels in the city to make their restrooms accessible to the public, a request that some hotels accepted. This initiative significantly boosted his popularity.

Some of the plans he initiated after taking office earned praise but very few of them proved sustainable. Today, despite the lack of continuity and consistency of his own i...