KATHMANDU: As many as 298 teams are counting votes in 134 local levels in eight districts of Province 2, under the third phase of local level elections held on September 18. According to the Joint Election Operation Centre at the Election Commission, counting is underway in a peaceful and smooth manner since 9:30 am today. The counting of votes in Rajbiraj will start once the polls will be held in Rajbiraj Municipality-15. Meanwhile, a ward chair candidate from the CPN Maoist Centre in Garuda Municipality- 3 has filed an application seeking re-count of votes at the ward after the Nepali Congress candidate won by a single vote. The local election office has stated that the counting will resume in this ward as soon as the local political parties reach an agreement on the issue. Similarly, the counting of votes in Baragadhi Rural Municipality of Bara district was halted over the issue that the ballot boxes were opened without the presence of the CPN Maoist Centre representatives. Efforts are being made to resume the vote count after forging political consensus among the parties. Counting of votes will start in Rajbiraj Municipality after voting takes place in ward number 15 of the municipality on September 21. Election at this ward could not take place on September 18 due to the death of an election candidate belonging to the Rastriya Janata Party Nepal. (With inputs from Rastriya Samachar Samiti)