Kathmandu, November 23:

Around 90 per cent of people casting ballots in a ‘model referendum’ today voted for the nationalisation of the education sector, convener of the Kathmandu Valley Special Regional Coordination Committee of the All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) Yuvaraj Chaulagain, said. Citing results of the referendum, the ANNISU-R called for the nationalisation of the education sector. According to him, 7,161 votes were cast in some 29 ballot boxes kept in five booths. “While 90.5 per cent of the voters went for the nationalisation of the education sector, 8.18 per cent were against nationalising the sector,” he said, adding that 1.34 per cent of votes were declared invalid.

Polling booths were set up in Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus Tahachal and Gramin Adarsha Higher Secondary School and at the roadside near the central office of the ANNISU-R in Bagbazaar of Kathmandu district, Adarsha Multiple Campus Sano Thimi of Bhaktapur district and Namuna Machchhindra Higher secondary School of Lalitpur. Polling began at 8 am and lasted till 5 pm.