CPN (Maoist Center) candidate has taken lead in vote count of Bharatpur Metropolitan City's mayoral race.

Dahal has secured 42,744 to Gyawali's 42,645 to take a lead of 99 votes. Vote of Bharatpur-20, said to be a stronghold of Nepali Congress which has forged mayoral alliance with Maoist Center, is underway.

Re-election was conducted in Bhartpur-19 after Maoist Center cadres allegedly tore 90 ballot papers of the first phase of election. Supreme Court had ordered a re-election in the ward after vote count was disrupted following the tearing of the ballot papers.

——————————-

Nepali Congress candidate Purna Bahadur Gurung has been elected chairperson of Bharatpur Metropolitan City ward-19.

Entire NC panel was emerged victorious in the ward. Gurung mustered 1,478 votes out of 2870 votes cast in the re-election held on Friday.

Bharatpur mayoral candidate Devi Gyawali from CPN-UML has so far obtained 41,946 votes while his rival Renu Dahal from CPN (Maoist Centre) has garnered 41,725 votes.

It is learnt that the vote counting of ward no. 20 is underway.

A total of 3,303 votes were cast in the ward during the first phase local local polls held on May 14.