Vote counting has resumed in Bharatpur Metropolitan City in Chitwan after it was halted briefly.

Counting was halted after a party representative objected to the decision to invalidate ballot papers in which there are stamps within the box but they are dim.

A representative from the CPN-UML objected to invalidation of a ballot paper because the swastika stamp was dim.

Ashwin Ghimire, the UML representative at the vote counting centre, said that such ballot papers should be counted as valid.

Counting of votes from Ward No. 2 of Bharatpur Metropolitan City had started after counting of Ward No. 1 was over.

As of latest updates, Renu Dahal of the CPN (Maoist Centre) is leading the mayoral race with 1,867 votes. UML’s Vijay Subedi is trailing with 1,814 votes.

Dahal is the ruling alliance’s common candidate in Bharatpur. Jagannath Poudel is fighting for the mayoral post as a rebel candidate of the Nepali Congress after the party expelled him for refusing to accept Dahal as the alliance’s common candidate.

Nepali Congress’ Chitrasen Adhikari is the deputy mayoral candidate in Bharatpur. He is leading with 1,895 votes. Rastriya Prajatantra Party’s Himala Gurung is trailing with 1,333 votes.

In 2017, Dahal had won in re-polling after controversy.

When vote counting in Ward No. 19 was underway, CPN (Maoist Centre) representatives had allegedly torn up around 90 ballot papers.

UML Devi Prasad Gyawali was slightly ahead of Dahal at that time.