Independent candidate for mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balen Shah has built up a lead of more than 11,000 votes over Keshav Sthapit of CPN-UML.
Of the 58,850 total votes counted until now, Shah has secured 22,842 votes to take a lead of 11,073. Sthapit is a distant second with 11,769 votes.
Sirjana Singh of Nepali Congress (NC) is third with 10,968 votes.
Shah's vote tally is more than the combined tallies of Sthapit and Singh.
Shah has led in all the wards where vote counting has been completed or continues.