BHOJPUR: Nepal Communist Party (NCP) ward chair candidate Jitendra Rai has won the by-election at Shyamshila, Pauwadungma Rural Municipality-1 of Bhojpur district.

Rai had secured 691 votes while his closest rival Samar Bahadur Karki of Nepali Congress was limited to 254 votes.

According to Chief Returning Officer Khilnath Regmi, 16 votes were declared invalid.

As many as 965 votes of the total 1616 votes were caste during the Bhojpur by-election. Nepali Congress had won the earlier election in the ward.