KATHMANDU — Balendra Shah was sworn in as Prime Minister of Nepal on March 27, 2026, and in his first parliamentary address acknowledged that Nepal has encroached on Indian territory in multiple locations. He called for bilateral talks between the two nations to resolve their longstanding border dispute.
"You will be surprised to know a fact that I have learned recently, only after becoming prime minister: not only has India encroached Nepali territory, but Nepal has also encroached Indian territory in many places," Shah stated in his address. He added, "Now both countries should study the facts and sit together as friends and resolve the issue." Shah did not specify which areas of Indian territory he believed Nepal had encroached upon.
The border dispute between India and Nepal centers on the territories of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani. The disagreement traces back to the 1816 Sugauli Treaty signed between Nepal and British colonial rulers, which ceded to British India the territory west of the Kali River but failed to define the river’s origin or include an attached map. Nepal claims the Kali River originates at Limpiyadhura, while India asserts it begins at Lipulekh.
Shah, who previously served as mayor of Kathmandu after winning the seat in 2022 as an independent candidate, has displayed a 'Greater Nepal' map in his office that includes territories now within India’s borders. Before entering politics, the 35-year-old was a musician who used his work to highlight corruption and inequality. He joined the Rastriya Swatantra Party in December 2025.
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated in April 2026 that Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani are part of Nepal. The ministry had previously protested India’s May 2020 inauguration of an 80km road to Lipulekh, stating it passes through Nepali territory. India’s Ministry of External Affairs has maintained that claims over Lipulekh are "neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence," and called unilateral territorial claims "untenable."
Shah said Nepali lawmakers have reached out to China and the United Kingdom regarding the territorial dispute. According to Nishchal Pandey, director of the Centre for South Asian Studies in Kathmandu, Nepal is seeking original British survey maps from 1827 and 1834 to strengthen its position in negotiations with India, not requesting mediation. Pandey added that Nepal historically lacked its own maps and depended on those published by British India. Parliamentarian Basana Thapa of the Nepali Congress party demanded clarification on Shah’s comments about mutual territorial encroachment.