PHIDIM: The vote counting of second phase of local level elections is underway in five rural municipalities and a municipality of Panchthar district in Province 1.

The vote counting started in Yangwarak, Tumwewa, Kummayak Rural Municipalities at 10:00 pm yesterday while the counting began in Phalgunanda and Miklajung Rural Municipalities and Phidim Municipality this morning.

The votes for Yangwarak, Tumwewa, Kummayak are being counted in Tharpu, Mauwa and Yashok respectively.

In the contest for the post of chair in Yangwark Rural Municipality, Nepali Congress candidate Sher Bahadur Nugo is leadingwith 54 votes while CPN-UML candidate Lekhnath Ghimire is moving on with 49 votes.

Similarly, in the contest for the vice chair, UML candidate Kamala yonghang is leading with 39 votes while her close contender Kalpana Koirala Guragain of NC is moving ahead with 35 votes.

Likewise, in Tumwewa Rural Municipality, NC candidate for the chair Hom Thapa is leading with 190 votes followed by Maoist Alliance candidate Devindra Khatri with 125 votes. In the contest for vice chair Dhana Sanwa is leading with 153 votes closely followed by Rastriya Prajatantra Party's Ghalendra Kurumbang with 125 votes.

Similarly, for the post of Kummayak Rural Municipality chair, NC's Bam Lawati is leading the vote counting with 310 votes followed by UML's Jay Bahadur Chemjong with 241 votes.

For the post of vice-chair, UML's Sita Acharya is moving ahead with 270 votes while RPP's Jeet Bahadur Aguwa is pacing with 215 votes.

The ballot boxes from Phalelung and Hilihang Rural Municipalities have arrived Village Council Offices for the counting of votes, Chief Returning Officer Rajendra kumar Shrestha informed.