EC submits NA election results to president

Kathmandu, January 29

The Election Commission today submitted the results of the National Assembly election to President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.

The elections were held on January 23, which elected 18 members from seven provinces for the Upper House. The results of the election were declared on the same day.

As per the constitutional provision, the poll panel has to furnish election results to the head of the state within a week from the date of announcement of poll results.

Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya submitted the NA election results to President Bhandari amid a function organised in Shital Niwas.

Other office-bearers of the poll panel were also present at the function.

The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) had bagged 16 out of 18 seats in the elections.

The main opposition party Nepali Congress could not win any seat. Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal, which had forged an electoral alliance with the NCP, secured two seats from Province 2. Samajwadi Party-Nepal, which had strong base in Province 2, also could not win any seat. One NA member will be nominated by the president.

Electoral College for NA members consists of Provincial Assembly members and chiefs and deputy chiefs of local levels.

As many as 2,056 voters, including 550 from provincial assemblies and 1,506 from local levels, were eligible to cast their ballots in the elections. A Provincial Assembly member’s vote carried the weightage of 48 whereas a vote of chief or deputy chief of a local level had the weightage of 18 each.

According to the EC, the turnout was 99.22 per cent.

Of the 550 PA members, 545 cast their votes. Similarly, 1,495 out of 1,506 chiefs and deputy chiefs of local levels exercised their voting rights.

As per the Election to the Members of the National Assembly Act-2017, the Upper House elections must be held 35 days before the tenure of one-third of the NA members expires.

The 19 seats being represented by various political parties will fall vacant on March 3.