KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress Election Committee began the run-off poll on Monday afternoon to elect its new president for next five years.

The election process was pushed to the run-off as the presidential hopeful Sher Bahadur Deuba had fallen 11 votes short of 1,575, required to get the top post's berth.

The NC statute requires that one needs to get 50 per cent plus one vote to get elected the president.

Total 3,148 party representatives had cast their votes in the phase-one election held on Sunday.

In the vote count concluded this morning, Deuba's closest rival Ram Chandra Paudel had got 1,160 votes, followed by the third contender Krishna Prasad Sitaula (324).

READ ALSO:

• Sitaula calls to skip run-off; 41 district presidents back Paudel
• Sitaula withdraws from run-off avoidance call

The top two candidates garnering the highest votes – Deuba and Paudel – have been vying in the run-off.

Now, apparently those who voted for Sitaula in the phase-one poll on Sunday will play the decisive role to decide the new party chief for next five years.

According to Election Committee secretary Pradip Parajuli, one does not need to garner 50 per cent votes in the run-off. Who gets more votes will win the race to the top post.

The Nepali Congress gala, which kicked off, in Kathmandu on March 3 has already endorsed the party’s policy and programmes from its closed session.