KATHMANDU: Centenarians on Sunday have exercised their franchise in various districts of the nation in the first phase of local level elections, which are being held after nearly two decades.

A 115-year-old Batuli Lamichhane has cast her vote in the local level elections in Kakani Rural Municipality-8 of Nuwakot district today.

Lamichhane, with the help of her son Netra Prasad, cast her vote at the Arunodaya Secondary School in Matra village of the district, said an election official Ramsnehi Mandal.

Similarly, in Dupcheshwor Rural Municipality-5 of Nuwakot, a 104-year-old Tulasi Kumari Khatri cast her vote at  Mahadev Secondary School polling centre.

Another centenarian Ananta Prasad Adhikari, who is 101 years old, cast his vote at Bageshwori Secondary School-based polling centre in Suryagadhi Rural Municipality-3, Nuwakot, according to Singha Bahadur Tamang, an election official.

Likewise, voting in Gorkha and Nawalparasi districts began with two centenarians casting their votes first.

A 105-year-old Nanda Bahadur Paudel cast the first vote at a pollng centre located at Chandra Jyoti School of Gorkha Municipality-10, said Joint Secretary Shiva Ram Neupane, who is part of the election monitoring team.

Another centenarian, 104-year-old Bhumishwor Sapkota of Gaidakot Municipality-8, also cast the first vote at the Kalika polling station in Nawalparasi district.

(With inputs from Rastriya Samachar Samiti)