Rajbiraj, September 21

The third phase of local polls slated for September 18, which was postponed due to the sudden demise of Mahanthi Yadav, Rastriya Janata Party Nepal candidate for chairperson in Ward No 15 of Rajbiraj Municipality two days before the poll date, was held today in Saptari.

Following Yadav’s untimely demise, the EC had asked RJP-N to nominate another candidate for the post. Election was held today amidst tight security.

Janata Primary School at Deuribharuwa and Musarniya Primary School at Musarniya were set as polling stations of the ward.

Vote counting of the municipality is yet to start as the election of the ward was scheduled for today. The election started at 7:00am and concluded at 5:00pm. Voters seemed very excited and participation was very inspiring.

According to Chief District Returning Officer Mahesh Thakur, they will begin counting votes after taking the ballot boxes to Mahendra Club and holding an all-party meeting.

Vote counting in other local levels of the district continued. Nepali Congress has won the polls in two local units and CPN-UML and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal have emerged victorious in one unit each so far.

NC’s Lilambar Yadav and Jajira Devi Yadav were elected as chief and deputy chief of Bishnupur Rural Municipality. Similarly, Paramananda Yadav and Usha Devi Mandal of the NC won the post of chairperson and deputy chairpersonof Belhi Chapena Rural Municipality.

UML candidates won both the mayoral and deputy mayoral positions at Saptakoshi municipality of Saptari. Uttam Kumar Sharma and Asha Chaudhary were elected mayor and deputy mayoral posts, while RJP-N won both the mayor and deputy mayorship at Dakaneshwori municipality of the district.

Shiva Narayan Sah and Indu Kumari Yadav of the party were elected to the posts respectively.

As vote counting continues, Nepali Congress has been leading at Khadak municipality, Kanchanrup municipality, Krishnasabaran rural municipality and Koiladi Tilathi rural municipality  while Federal Socialist Forum is leading in Bodebarsain municipality, Hanumannagar Kankalini municipality, Balan Bihul rural municipality, Tirhut rural municipality and Mahadeva rural municipality of the district.

Similarly, CPN-UML is leading at Surunga and Shambhunath municipalities while RJP-N is leading in Rupani rural municipality and Naya Shakti Party-Nepal is leading in Chhinnamasta rural municipality.