00:00Two popular leaders in Nepal have joined forces ahead of parliamentary elections in March, aiming to challenge parties that have dominated the country's politics for over three decades.
00:11Kathmandu's Mayor, Balendra Shah, better known as Rapper Balan, has teamed up with the Rastriya Swantantra Party, or RSP, led by former TV host, Rabi Lamichane.
00:22Under the alliance, 35-year-old Balan would become Prime Minister if the RSP wins, while Lamichane stays Party Chief.
00:33Both men rose to national prominence during youth-left protests in September against widespread corruption, which left 77 people dead, and forced then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to resign.
00:44Balan was an undeclared leader of the protesters, and later helped form an interim government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Kharki to oversee the elections scheduled for March 5.
00:56Analysts say the alliance is a strategic move to mobilise younger voters, many of whom were drawn to Balan's grassroots appeal, and outsider image during the demonstrations.
01:06Nearly 19 million of Nepal's 30 million people are eligible to vote, with around a million new voters added after the protests.
Comments