BHARATPUR: The counting of votes in Bharatpur Metropolitan City has been put off since 7:00 pm on Friday after Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist Centre, which had formed an alliance for the local polls, protested claiming irregularity in the process.

According to the district Coordinator of Maoist Centre Ghanashyam Dahal, they have protested the counting of votes following the irregularities of vote counting in ward 9 of the City.

He further claimed that the vote counting of ward 4 and 7 was not also satisfactory and the process should not be resumed until the re-counting of votes in these areas are done.

Nepali Congress has also expressed concern over the fair counting of votes.

However, assistant Chief Returning Officer Gamvir Ghimire claimed that there were no irregularities and malpractices in the counting of votes.

The cadres of the parties chanted slogans after their leaders accused of irregularity.

They protested the counting of votes in ward 10 which has just begun after the votes of ward 1 -9 were counted.

CPN-UML candidate has edged in 5 wards while his nearest competitor Maoist Centre candidate Renu Dahal, who is also a daughter of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, was leading in 4 wards of the metropolis.