Run-off to elect NC president underway (with photos)

KATHMANDU: Delegates of Nepali Congress (NC) are voting for the second time to elect the party president as none of the five candidates including incumbent party president Sher Bahadur Deuba failed to secure more than 50 percent votes. 

Of the 4,743 NC delegates, as many as 4,679 cast their ballots in the election held on Monday. As per the party statute, a candidate should win at least 50 percent and one more vote to be elected as the party president. 

A candidate should have secured 2,340 votes to win the party presidency. However, Deuba, top vote securer, could get 2,258 votes against his nearest rival Dr Shekhar Koirala’s 1,702 votes. 

According to the party’s central election committee, Prakash Man Singh secured 371 votes followed by Bimalendra Nidhi who managed to win 250 votes. Kalyan Gurung garnered the lowest of 22 votes. 

Following the results, Deuba and Koirala are facing one another in the run-off being held at the City Hall in the capital. The run-off kicked off at 3:35PM. 

Meanwhile, Singh, Nidhi and Gurung, who contested the election in the first round, said that they would extend their support to Deuba. 

Here are some photos taken on Tuesday afternoon where Deuba and Koirala were seen soliciting votes for them. They were seen standing by the queue of delegates and greeting them [voters] in a bid to win the presidential race.