Independent candidate for mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balen Shah has built up a lead of more than 13,500 over Keshav Sthapit of CPN-UML with counting of votes completed in eight out of the 32 wards.
Shah has secured 28,882 votes to lead Sthapit who has got 15,323 votes by 13,559 as per the latest update.
Sirjana Singh of Nepali Congress (NC) is third with 14,798 votes.
Shah's vote tally is just over 1,100 short of the combined tallies of Sthapit and Singh.
Vote counting has already been completed in ward numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 28, 30 and 32 while it continues in ward numbers 6, 7, 8, 27, 28, 29 and 31.