National Assembly Election Sees More Than 50 Percent of Votes Cast by Midday

Kathmandu — The Election Commission reported that more than 50 percent of eligible votes had been cast by 12:45 p.m. today in the National Assembly elections being held in the capitals of all seven provinces.

Voting, which began at 9 a.m. and is scheduled to conclude at 3 p.m., is being held to fill 17 of the 18 seats that will fall vacant on Falgun 20. One seat in Koshi Province for the Khas-Arya category was uncontested, with the Nepali Congress candidate Sunil Bahadur Thapa elected unopposed.

As of midday, tallies reported by the commission showed 313 votes in Koshi Province, 227 in Madhesh, 217 in Bagmati, 180 in Gandaki, 163 in Lumbini, 145 in Karnali and 186 in Sudurpashchim had been cast.

Polling is being carried out at designated provincial election offices and centers in each capital, with the electoral college composed of provincial assembly members, mayors and deputy mayors, and rural municipality chairpersons and vice-chairpersons.