The Nepali Congress (NC) emerged victorious in Biratnagar—the only metropolitan city in Province 1, with the party clinching both the mayoral and deputy mayoral positions. 

Scripting the biggest comeback in Biratnagar in 20 years, the NC also secured top posts in seven out of the 19 wards in the metropolis. 

NC’s Bhim Parajuli won the mayoral race garnering 23,031 votes, 5,710 more than his nearest rival Binod Dhakal of the CPN-UML in the second phase of local elections held on June 28. 

Indira Karki was elected as the deputy mayor with 20,146 votes, beating CPN (Maoist Centre) candidate Namita Neupane who garnered 11,524 votes. 

Parajuli, 44, the municipal president of the party, started his political career from the Nepal Students Union—the student wing of the NC. He was active in student politics at Mahendra Morang Campus.

Speaking after the victory, Parajuli said making Biratnagar a “livable city” by controlling pollution would be his first priority. 

He also shared his plans to develop infrastructure to make Biratnagar as the provincial capital.  

The NC asserted its domination in Biratnagar, with its candidates securing the post of chairperson in Wards 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9 and 16.

The Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal candidates were elected the top post in Wards 13, 14, 15, 17 and 18, while the UML won in Wards 2, 5 and 11, and the Maoist Centre in 6 and 19. 

‘Final results within two days’

DHARAN: The final results of the local level elections in Dharan Sub-metropolis would be out by Tuesday evening, Chief Election Officer of Sunsari Arjun Koirala said 

on Sunday. 

The vote count has been delayed in the sub-metropolis mainly due to dispute between political parties and lack of human resources. 

Koirala said 54 more enumerators were added on Sunday to speed up the counting process. The counting of votes has been going on simultaneously in Wards 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20, along with the disputed 9 and 10 wards, he added.

The votes were recounted in Wards 9 and 10, following the dispute between the political parties over a counting error. According to the update that came in on Sunday evening, 

CPN-UML’s mayoral candidate Tara Subba was been leading with 14,295 votes 

from Nepali Congress’s Tilak Rai (10,975). (PR)