CPN-UML candidate for mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Keshav Sthapit has taken an early lead in two wards and Sirjana Singh of Nepali Congress is ahead in the preliminary vote counting of another ward as of Thursday evening.
Independent candidate Balen Shah has led in all the other 11 wards where the vote counting has either been completed or is in progress.
As per the latest update, Sthapit leads in ward number 27 with 173 votes. Singh has 126 votes and Shah has 67 with 500 votes counted so far.
Ward number 27 is comprised of Chhusyabaha, Jamal, Kamalakshi and surrounding areas.
Similarly, the UML candidate has secured 607 of the 2,521 votes counted in ward number 28. Shah is following closely on his heels with 604 votes while Singh has 570 votes.
Meanwhile, Singh has taken an early lead in ward number 8 with 700 votes counted so far.
She has secured 212 votes, followed by Shah on 192 and Sthapit on 160.
This ward comprises Sifal, Gaushala, Tilganga, Mrigasthali and the area to the right of Tribhuvan International Airport.
Meanwhile, Shah leads the mayoral race with 25,185 votes. Sthapit and Singh are playing catch-up with 13,098 and 12,460 votes, respectively with 65,081 votes counted already.
Vote counting has already been completed in ward numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 while it continues in ward numbers 6, 7, 8, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31 and 32.
