Congress wins 327 local level chiefs

By A Staff Reporter Kathmandu, May 27:  The ruling Nepali Congress swept the local level election held on May 13 by winning 139 posts of mayor and 110 deputy mayors of 293 municipalities, sub-metropolis and metropolis. 

Similarly, the party secured chief positions in 188 and deputy chief positions in 190 rural municipalities out of 460 local units. It has won 2,655  ward chairs, 2,596 female ward members, 2,541 Dalit women members and 5293  ward members. The main opposition CPN-UML has secured the second position by winning 82 mayors and 111 deputy mayors. Its one candidate is leading in one municipality. 

Likewise, the party has secured 123 seats of chair and 123 seats of vice chair in rural municipalities, 2,125 ward chairs, 2,336  female ward members, 2,282  Dalit woman members and 4,666 ward members. 

Similarly, the CPN (Maoist Centre) came third by winning the posts of 25 mayors and 33 deputy mayors.  It has won 96 seats of chair and 95 seats of vice chair in rural municipalities, 1,053 ward chairs, 963 ward female members, 973 Dalit woman members and 1,803 ward members. 

In the same way, the CPN (Unified Socialist) has won 12 mayoral posts, Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal (JSP-N) has won one mayor, 12 deputy mayors, 21 rural municipality chairs and 19 vice chairs. Other parties have won 31 mayoral seats, 23 deputy mayoral seats, 32 seats of rural municipality chair and 30 seats of deputy chair. 

The ruling coalition partners NC has secured two mayoral posts and CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN( Unified Socialist) and Janata Samajbadi Party-Nepal have secured mayoral seat at one metropolis each.

CPN-UML has lost the election for the mayoral posts in all six metropolises while it has been able to secure posts of  deputy mayor in four metropolis.

Similarly, the vote counting has been proceeding in two local bodies, including Tilottama Municipality.  Candidate of Nepali Congress Ram Krishna Khand has been leading vote counting in the mayoral post and UML candidate is leading in vote counting for the post of deputy mayor. 

Re-election in Budiganga Municipality The Election Commission has decided to hold re-election in Budhiganga Municipality of Bajura district.

The Election Commission issued a statement on Thursday informing that re-polling will be held in the municipality.

According to the EC’s spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel, the date and time of voting will be fixed at the earliest. 

A meeting of the EC held on Thursday also decided to send a letter to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) to replace Bajura Chief District Officer Upendra Raj Poudyal, Police Chief DSP Chaturbhuj Ojha and SP Deepak Bista of the Armed Police Force within three days citing that they had committed serious negligence in security arrangements and had disservice to the credibility, freeness and fairness of the election.

Similarly, the EC has asked MoHA to create conducive environment for the election process by deploying responsible staffs in Bajura.

According to the EC, vote counting in Budiganga has been halted due to the dispute between the ruling coalition and opposition party. 

Nepali Congress cadres are demanding a re-election on the ground of allegations of irregularities while CPN-UML representatives have taken stand that vote counting should proceed in status quo.