Independent candidate for mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balen Shah has extended his lead to nearly 18,700 votes.
As per the latest update, Shah has secured 46,476 of the 135,693 votes counted until now. He leads Sirjana Singh of Nepali Congress (NC), who has got 27,799 votes, by 18,677.
Keshav Sthapit of CPN-UML is now third with 26,861 votes.
Vote counting continues in ward numbers 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22 and 26.
Shah leads the vote count in ward numbers 9, 10, 13, 14 and 26, while Singh is ahead in ward number 15. Sthapit leads in the other three wards.