KATHMANDU: Voting has begun in all seven provinces of the country to elect the National Assembly (NA) members.

Eighteen National Assembly members will be elected through the voting process taking place across the country since 10:00 am this morning.

Provincial assembly members, chairpersons and deputy chairpersons from 12 districts of Province 5 queuing up to cast vote in National Assembly elections being held in Ghorahi, Dang, on Thursday, January 23, 2020. Photo: RSS

Bagmati Province Chief Minister Dormani Poudel cast the first vote in the polling centre at Jawalakhel, Lalitpur Metropolitan City. A total of six candidates -- including three each in 'women' and 'other' groups -- are in the election race in Bagmati Province.

The province has a total of 348 votes including 110 Province Assembly members and 238 local level members.

Provincial assembly members, chairpersons and deputy chairpersons from 12 districts of Province 5 queuing up to cast vote in National Assembly elections being held in Ghorahi, Dang, on Thursday, January 23, 2020. Photo: RSS

Polling centres have been set up at Birendra Academy (Biratnagar) for Province 1, Mahendra Narayan Nidhi Memorial Building (Janakpur) for Province 2, Lalitpur Metropolitan City ward office for Bagmati Province, District Election Office (Kaski) for Gandaki Province, Employee Meeting Centre (Ghorahi) for Province 5, District Election Office (Surkhet) for Karnali Province, and Padam Public Mukti Narayan Higher Secondary School (Silgadhi) for Sudurpaschim Province.

Meanwhile, Deputy Chairperson of Bajura district's Swamikartik Rural Municipality, Mina Budha, cast the first vote in the elections being held to elect two NA members at Silgadhi, the headquarters of Doti district in Sudurpaschim Province.

There are four candidates from Sudurpaschim Province for two seats in the National Assembly. The candidates from Nepal Communist Party (NCP) are Taraman Swar and Sharada Bhatta while other candidates from the main opposition Nepali Congress are Pratap Singh Thagunna and Tulasi Devkota.

According to Election Officer Bidur Kafle, the voting result will be out after 4:00 pm today itself.

In Sudurpaschim Province only, a total of 229 voters, including 176 chairpersons and deputy chairpersons of 88 local levels and 53 provincial assembly members, are taking part in the election.

As many as 2,056 voters, including 550 from provincial assemblies and 1,506 from local levels, are eligible to cast their ballots in the ongoing NA election.

All the voters taking part in the NA elections are eligible to cast their ballots at their respective polling centres from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm today.

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