The Nepali Congress swept the local level elections in the country with the ruling party bagging the maximum number of 325 posts of mayors and 292 deputy mayors out of the 735 units which went to polls, even as counting of five municipalities are yet to be concluded, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
The main opposition CPN-UML secured second position by winning the posts of 202 mayors and 234 deputy mayors. The CPN-Maoist Centre came third by winning the posts of 121 mayors and 128 deputy mayors, it said.
CPN-Unified Socialist came fourth by winning 30 posts of mayors, while Janata Samajwadi Party secured the fifth rank with 20 posts of mayors.
While contesting the local level election on May 13, Nepali Congress, CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist, Janata Samajwadi Party and Rastriya Janamorcha forged an electoral alliance. The ruling alliance has won altogether 496 mayors or municipality chairs which comes around 66%.
Of the six metropolises, Nepali Congress won in Lalitpur and Biratnagar, CPN Maoist Centre emerged victorious in Bharatpur, CPN-Unified Socialist in Pokhara and Janata Samajwadi Party in Birgunj Municipality.
However, Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayoral post went to independent candidate Balendra Shah, who defeated both Nepali Congress and CPN-UML in the race.
This is the first time that any Madhesi-origin candidate has won Kathmandu Mayor election. Mr. Shah is a popular rapper and also happens to be a structural engineer.
Mayor post in Bharatpur Metropolitan City went to Renu Dahal, daughter of CPN-Maoist Centre chairman Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda'.
