CPN-UML’s Bidya Sundar Shakya has been elected as the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City on Sunday. Shakya will head the Kathmandu metropolis for the next five years.

Shakya defeated his closest rival, Nepali Congress (NC) candidate Raju Raj Joshi, by over 19,000 votes in the final counting results of the local level polls held on May 14. Shakya garnered 64,913 votes and Joshi secured only 45,269 votes.

In the last local body elections in 1997, CPN-UML’s Keshav Sthapit had been elected as the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

Born in Lagan Tole of Kathmandu on May 23, 1963, Shakya had been elected twice as chairman of Kathmandu Ward-21. This time Shakya secured a record 87 percent votes from his ward.   

However, NC candidate Hariprabha Khadgi has been elected the deputy mayor of KMC. Khadgi defeated Rastriya Prajatantra Party candidate Raja Ram Shrestha, who was supported by CPN-UML, with a huge margin.

Other contenders in the mayoral race, Bibeksheel Nepali Party’s Ranju Darshana Neupane secured 23,439 votes, and Sajha Party’s Kishor Thapa secured 18,492 votes. CPN (Maoist Centre) candidate Sarbottam Dangol, who ranked fourth in the race, secured 7906 votes.

Deputy Mayor-elect Khadgi garnered 58,952 votes her rival candidate Shrestha of RPP received 34854 votes, while Sajha Party’s Nirupama Yadav got 11,533 votes and CPN (Maoist Centre)’s Sushila Poudel secured 10,448 votes.  

A total of 1,97,227 votes were cast in Kathmandu Metropolitan City. 

PHOTOS: NIMESH JANG RAI