KATHMANDU: Khum Bahadur Khadka is leading the vote count with 898 votes out of 1,500 counted so far in the open category of the Nepali Congress Central Working Committee members' election held earlier this week. Following him are Shekhar Koirala and Prakash Man Singh with 885 and 880 votes respectively. Among top 25 contenders, the newly elected President Sher Bahadur Deuba-led panel is apparently holding the majority though the two among top three candidates - Koirala and Singh - belong to the rival faction led by outing acting President Ram Chandra Paudel. Total 90 contenders are in the race for 25 positions. Meanwhile, the party's Election Committee is simultaneously counting votes for CWC members under other reservation categories. SN Candidates Votes till 1,500 counted 1. Khum Bahadur Khadka 898 2. Shekhar Koirala 885 3. Prakash Man Singh 880 4. Ramesh Lekhak 851 5. Purna Bahadur Khadka 846 6. Kul Bahadur (KB) Gurung 841 7. Pradeep Giri 839 8. Pradeep Paudel 837 9. Bal Krishna Khand 835 10. Bimalendra Nidhi 833 11. Dhan Raj Gurung 824 12. Mahesh Acharya 815 13. Ram Sharan Mahat 786 14. Bal Bahadur KC 785 15. Bishwa Prakash Sharma 771 16. Sujata Koirala 766 17. Shankar Bhandari 749 18. Prakash Sharan Mahat 740 19. NP Saud 730 20. Gopal Man Shrestha 730 21. Chandra Bhandari 721 22. Minendra Rijal 713