CPN-UML takes lead in Nepal's local body elections vote count

Kathmandu [Nepal], May 14 (ANI): The opposition Communist Party of Nepal-Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML) has taken a lead in the vote count of Nepal's local election registering wins in 4 mayoral posts out of the 753 as the Himalayan nation on Friday exercised its franchise to elect new representatives of local bodies.
As per the new update provided by the Election Commission with counting underway in most of the districts across the nation, the CPN-UML has led the count in 101 mayoral fronts by 2:30 PM (NST).
However, the Nepali Congress, the biggest party of the ruling alliance till 2:30 PM (NST) has registered victory in 3 mayoral posts and has been leading at 163 fronts for the post of Mayor.
A total of 17,733,723 voters are eligible to cast their vote to choose a total of 35,221 representatives at local levels. In the local level election held on Friday, 64 per cent of voters turned out, as per the preliminary data from the Election Commission.
Of all the candidates, 355 contesting for different positions from various political parties have been unanimously elected.
The Election Commission (EC) has set up a total of 10,756 polling stations and 21,955 centres across the country to ensure the voting rights of the public. A total of 65 political parties, out of the total 79 political parties registered with the EC for the poll, are contesting in the polls today.
As many as 109,088 employees and 65,865 volunteers have been deployed for the election. Likewise, 145,011 candidates from various political parties and independent candidates -- 55,698 female and 89,313 male -- are contesting in the polls, the EC said.
The voters, above 18 years of age, will elect their leader in the election to be held in 753 places including 6 metropolitan cities, 11 sub-metropolitan cities, 276 municipalities, and 460 village municipalities.
The May 13 local election is the second local election since the adoption of the new constitution and the transition to federalism after the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015.
Earlier in 2017, Nepal had first held the local level polls in a gap of about two decades. The CPN-UML and the CPN-Maoist Center alliance had secured a majority in the local as well as provincial and federal elections. (ANI)