Voting has started to pick the Parliamentary Party (PP) leader of the Nepali Congress (NC) at the Parliamentary Party Office in Singha Durbar on Monday.

The voting that began from 10 am will end at 1 pm.

President Sher Bahadur Deuba and senior leader Prakash Man Singh are vying for the post.

Deuba and Singh filed their applications for PP leader on Sunday evening.

Deuba filed his nomination by granting power of attorney to his close aide Bal Krishna Khand. As Deuba remained busy in other work, Khand filed his candidacy. Party leader Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar had proposed Deuba’s candidacy while Man Bahadur Bishwakarma seconded the proposal.

Singh filed candidacy soon after the Deuba’s candidacy was registered. Lawmaker Sita Devi Yadav proposed Singh’s name, while lawmaker Sanjaya Kumar Gautam seconded the proposal.

NC has 63 lawmakers in the federal parliament.

Deuba claimed that he has support of around 40 percent lawmakers in his bid for PP leader.

If elected, Deuba will further consolidate his power in the party, at a time when there are pressures on him to handover the party leadership to new generation.