Nepali Congress leading vote count

Arpana Adhikari Rising Nepal
Kathmandu, May 18: As the vote count is progressing on the fifth day after Friday’s local level elections, the ruling Nepali Congress has taken lead with more of its candidates getting elected and leading in the counting in the largest number of local bodies across the nation. 
Candidates of the ruling NC have been elected as chiefs in 160 local levels and they are leading in 134 posts of chiefs. 
According to the data provided by the Election Commission as of 8:30 on Tuesday, Nepali Congress candidates were elected as mayors in 38 municipalities and deputy mayors in 31. 
Likewise, it won the posts of chair and deputy chairs in 122 rural municipalities. Similarly, the main opposition CPN-UML has won the chief post of 99 local bodies, including 20 municipalities and 79 rural municipalities.  
The UML candidates have been elected deputy mayor in 23 municipalities and deputy chair in 74 rural municipalities. 
Likewise, the ruling coalition partner CPN (Maoist Centre) has won the mayoral posts in eight municipalities and deputy mayors in 11. 
The party candidates have been elected as chair in 67 rural municipalities and deputy-chair in 69 rural municipalities. 
The CPN (Unified Socialist) has been able to register victory in one municipality with one mayoral post. It won three posts of deputy mayors. The party’s candidates have been elected as deputy-chair in nine rural municipalities. 
In the same way, the candidates of the ruling coalition partner Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) have been elected as chair in four rural municipalities. 
The candidates of other parties have been elected as mayor in three and deputy-mayor in two municipalities and chairperson in nine rural municipalities and deputy-chair in eight rural municipalities. 
Likewise, NC candidates have been elected in 1760 wards, UML in1,351 wards, CPN (MC) in 750 wards, JSP in 121 and others in 363 wards. 
CPN (Maoist Centre), CPN (Unified Socialist), Janata Samajwadi Party-Nepal and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party Nepal are trailing behind the NC and the UML. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party is also leading in some municipalities and wards.  
Election results of 70 municipalities, 281 rural municipalities, and 4,345 wards have been made public as of 8:30 pm Monday.
EC informed that total 22,301 office bearers, (including unopposed), have been elected so far.
The EC stated that mayors and deputy mayors of 70  municipalities, chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of  281 rural municipalities, chairs of 4,345 wards, and 8,652 ward members, 4,337woman ward members and 4,264 Dalit woman ward members have been elected by Tuesday 8:30 pm so far. 
Similarly, Nepali Congress has taken leading in Sudurpaschim Province, as its candidates get elected as chiefs in 23 of 54 local bodies where the election results were announced.  
Election results of 54 municipalities and rural municipalities of Sudurpaschim have been made public 
as of Tuesday evening. UML candidates are elected in 19 local bodies, CPN (MC) in 11 and independent candidate in one. 
Likewise, NC candidate has secured victory as deputy-chief in 29 local bodies, UML in 17, CPN (MC) in seven and CPN (Unified Socialist) in one. 
Similarly, the re-election scheduled on Tuesday at various local bodies held in a peaceful manner, said EC’s Assistant Spokesperson Surya Prasad Aryal.  
As of Monday evening, mayoral candidates of the ruling alliance have maintained their lead in five of 
the six metropolitan cities, while 32-year-old independent candidate Balendra Shah has been leading in vote counting in Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC). 
Likewise, in Lalitpur Metropolitan City, Nepali Congress’ candidate Chiribabu Maharjan is leading the vote count while in Bharatpur Metropolitan City, CPN (MC) candidate Renu Dahal is leading. 
Similarly, in Biratnagar Metropolitan City, NC candidate Nagesh Koirala is leading and in Birgunj Metropolitan City, Rajesh Man Singh of Janata Samajbadi Party Nepal is ahead of other candidates, including Bijay Sarawagi of the UML. 
Similarly, the ruling alliance candidate Dhanraj Acharya is leading the mayoral post in Pokhara Metropolitan City.