KAKADVITTA: The vote count so far of the June 28 local level elections held in the hometown of Nepali Congress leader Krishna Prasad Sitoula and CPN-UML Chair KP Sharma Oli has surprised one and all.

NC is lagging behind UML in Sitoula's constituency while RPP has come out strong against the UML in Oli's constituency.

UML has taken a strong lead in Bhadrapur municipality, regarded a pocket area of leader Sitoula. UML is leading with 2,404 votes against 1,599 of NC among the 7,300 votes counted so far.

UML has already won ward no. 1 and 2 of the municipality and is also leading the count in the remaining wards.

Likewise, in Damak that falls under Oli's constituency, UML is trailing behind RPP. Of the vote counted so far, RPP has got 512 votes against 116 of UML.

RPP has been taking a surprising lead in two rural municipalities and two wards in Jhapa, believed to be a stronghold of UML.