Independent candidates won the majority of the mayors posts across the country followed by the Kamal Thapa led Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP).

The results of 35 municipalities are announced so far. Eighteen mayors and 14 deputy mayors were elected as independent candidates. The RPP led by Kamal Thapa won 15 mayoral and 14 deputy mayoral post. Likewise, Nepal Sadbhawana party won two posts of mayors and four deputy mayors. Samajbadi Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (Rastrabadi) and Nepal Samata Party won one deputy mayoral post each in the municipal elections. The result of Birjung municipality is yet to be announced.

In other posts, independent candidates and candidates of RPP (Thapa), NSP and other parties won the elections.

Rajaram Shrestha

Rajaram Shrestha (File Photo)
Rajaram Shrestha of RPP led by Home Minister Kamal Thapa won the municipal election for the post of Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

Independent candidate Dhruba Maharjan won the mayoral post in Kritipur municipality with 5,468 votes. Surya Hari and Shankhadev of RPP (Thapa) became mayor and deputy mayors respectively in Thimi municipality.

Bhimsen Thapa of RPP (Thapa) was elected mayor of Pokhara while Hari Bahadur Harijan, also of RPP (Thapa), was elected mayor of Lekhnath municipality, according to reports.

In Bidur municipality of Nuwakot, independent candidate Kaman Singh Lama was elected mayor. Mina Kumari Tamang was elected deputy mayor.

Independent candidate KP Palungwa was elected mayor of Dharan. Daan Bahadur Bista bagged the mayoral post in Itahari with 2,012 votes. Independent candidate Nur Mohammad Miyan was elected deputy mayor with 1,681 votes.

In Inaruwa, independent candidate Hom Bahadur Rana Magar was elected mayor with 1,603 votes. Independent candidate Ram Dev Chaudhari was elected deputy mayor with 1,567 votes.

Independent candidate Prem Prasad Shrestha was elected mayor of Malangawa of Sarlahi with 1,582 votes. Nawal Kishor Bhandari of Nepal Sadbhawana Party (NSP) was elected deputy mayor with 1,555 votes.

In Janakpur, independent candidate Raj Dev Mishra beat Bechan Shah of Rastriya Bikas Party for the mayor’s post. Independent candidate Sudha Giri was elected deputy mayor.

In Rajbiraj, Mahi Dev Prasad Chaudhari of NSP was elected mayor and Revati Raman Chaudhari, also of NSP, deputy mayor.

Independent candidate Asheshwor Yadav beat Mohan Prasad Shrestha for the post of Siraha municipality mayor. Independent candidate Ashok Kumar Yadav was elected deputy mayor.

In Mahottari, Ram Shankar Shah of RPP (Thapa) won the mayoral post of Jaleshwor municipality while Asgar Ansari of the same party was elected deputy mayor.

A report from Dang said Bali Bhadra Rana and Krishna Bahadur KC were elected mayor and deputy mayor respectively of Tribhuvannagar Municipality. In Mahendranagar, Tej Bahadur Bhandari and Dil Bahadur Nath of RPP (Thapa) were elected mayor and deputy mayor respectively.

In Hetauda municipality, Madhu Adhikari and Ram Hari Neupane of RPP (Thapa) were elected mayor and deputy mayor. In Kalaiya, independent candidate Sushil Chaugain was elected mayor. Mohammad Manjur Alam Ansari of Samajbadi Party was elected deputy mayor.

Prem Lal Maharjan

Prem Lal Maharjan (File Photo)
Prem Lal Maharjan, independent candidate of Lalitpur sub-metripolis got 10,826 votes, largest by any candidate to be elected as mayor, while Hari Bahadur Harijan, a candidate for the post of mayor in Lekhnath municipality from the Kamal Thapa led-RPP needed mere 401 votes to win.

Meanwhile, Shailaja Pandey, a candidate fighting for deputy mayor post in the KMC representing Nepal Samata Party, expressed her dissatisfaction over the vote counting saying ballots which were not stamped were also counted as valid votes.

“We have protested against the system of vote counting. We demand re-counting,” reports quoted her as saying.

Krishna Bahadur Shahi, an independent candidate for mayor’s post in Kathmandu also alleged irregularities in the polls.

However, EC spokesperson Bajracharya said the EC cannot alter any declaration made by the District Election Office.

Election was held in 36 out of 58 municipalities across the country on Wednesday.