KATHMANDU: The Nepali Congress Election Committee said it would begin vote counting of the election held for the party's new president from around 10 pm today.

The Committee member Gopal Krishna Ghimire said the voting would conclude at around 7 pm and the Committee would begin counting only at around 10 pm after managing all logistic issues.

The counting would be held in four booths, according to him.

Results are likely by 3 am tomorrow, he added.

The Committee plans to hold the run-off poll if no any contender among three - Krishna Prasad Sitaula, Ram Chandra Paudel and Sher Bahadur Deuba - gets over 50 per cent votes, as required by the party statute.

The run-off poll would begin at 10 am tomorrow, if needed, according to the Election Committee.

Counting of votes for other positions including the general secretary and the treasurer would begin only after decision on the president's victory, Ghimire informed.

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30 delegates blocked from voting

Meanwhile, as many as 30 delegates picketed the Election Committee members on Sunday evening as they were blocked from casting votes.

Those appointed representatives by the deceased party President Sushil Koirala were restricted from voting after the Election Committee could not decide on their right, according to Ghimire.

Two presidential hopefuls - Ram Chandra Paudel and Krishna Prasad Sitaula, meanwhile, held a meeting with Committee Chief Radheshyam Adhikari and urged him to let the delegates cast the votes as they were appointed by the party president following the statute.