Kathmandu, March 16
A Miss Nepal winner, a television personality and actress, and a hip-hop artist who rose to national political prominence are among the well-known public figures now set to appear in Nepal’s Parliament. Balen Shah, Rima Bishwokarma and Anushka Shrestha are three prominent celebrity figures whose political journeys have brought them to the federal legislature.
Anushka Shrestha: From Miss Nepal to MP
The Miss Nepal 2019 pageant was held under a tent on the grassy grounds of Laboratory School. One of the judges was former election commissioner Ila Sharma.
During the final round, Sharma asked the top four contestants whether the world could become a better place if people focused more on duties than on rights. The finalists included Anushka Shrestha, Riya Basnet, Pradipta Adhikari and Meera Kakshapati.
Shrestha responded that rights and responsibilities are two sides of the same coin and that if people fulfilled their responsibilities, the world would naturally become a better place. Her clear and logical answer helped her win the title of Miss Nepal World 2019.
Today, Shrestha has entered the House of Representatives as a lawmaker, becoming the first Miss Nepal winner to become a Member of Parliament. She has been nominated by the Rastriya Swatantra Party under the proportional representation system from the Indigenous Janajati women’s cluster.
At the Miss World competition, Shrestha won the “Beauty with a Purpose” and “Multimedia” awards. She later established herself as a successful entrepreneur. She was also listed among South Asia’s top ten women entrepreneurs for promoting local products.
Her achievement was linked to the dessert chocolate brand “Makusee,” which she founded in 2020. She ranked third in a list prepared by In the Cap magazine. She has also served voluntarily as an adviser to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City.
Shrestha said she plans to focus on two key areas in Parliament: promoting Nepali products and brands in international markets, and advocating for women’s rights and empowerment.
Rima Bishwokarma’s journey to parliament
Rima Bishwokarma began her career in journalism and media. The Rastriya Swatantra Party nominated her under the proportional representation system from the Dalit women’s cluster.
Originally from Gulariya in Bardiya, she began hosting the Nepali television serial Jandajandai when she was studying in Grade 7. She later worked with several television channels as a journalist.
Bishwokarma is not only a media professional but also an actress, model and television presenter. Before entering politics, she hosted the singing reality show, Nepal Idol.
She began her acting career with the 2011 film Swar and later appeared in films such as Dash Ghanta, Visa Girl, Ritu, Escape, Bhale Fight, Bato Muniko Phool 2, Mr. Nepali and Hijo Aajka Kura.
Known for speaking openly on social and political issues, she has frequently expressed her views on contemporary matters through social media. After years of questioning politics and society as an artist, she now finds herself in a position where she must help shape those answers as a lawmaker.
Balen Shah on the path towards national leadership
Balen Shah, widely known in the Nepali hip-hop scene, rose from the underground rap movement to become one of the most talked-about political figures in the country.
Running in the direct election from Jhapa-5, he defeated former prime minister K P Sharma Oli, chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), by a margin of nearly 50,000 votes.
Shah previously served as mayor of Kathmandu after winning the 2022 local elections as an independent candidate. An engineer by training, he first gained popularity through rap music that addressed youth voices, social inequality, corruption and political distortions.
His songs, known for sharp lyrics and social criticism, resonated strongly with young audiences. The public recognition he gained through music later helped propel him into politics.
As mayor, Shah prioritised improving public services, managing urban administration, removing illegal structures and enforcing urban discipline in the capital. His journey from hip-hop artist to public representative has inspired many young people and artists.
Celebrities who did not make it to parliament
Actress Nisha Adhikari contested the election from Kathmandu Constituency-5 as a candidate of the Dynamic Democratic Party but received very few votes. She had entered politics focusing on women’s social issues and is also a central committee member of the party.
Meanwhile, singer Komal Oli was nominated by the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) under the proportional representation system but was not selected as a lawmaker.
Singer and actor Prakash Saput was also on the proportional representation candidate list of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, but did not make the final selection. Actor and doctor Rupak Bishwokarma Ghimire also missed out.
After confirming he would not be selected as a proportional representation lawmaker, Saput announced an overseas concert tour. He is scheduled to perform at the Chaitra Dashain Mela in Ireland on March 31. During the election campaign, he actively participated in political rallies, using music to attract voters.
Besides Bishwokarma, Shrestha and Saput, the party had also nominated singer Satyakala Rai, TV host Asif Shah and singer Trishala Gurung as proportional representation candidates, but none of them was included in the final list.
