National Assembly Election Voting Begins in Surkhet

Surkhet. Voting has commenced for the National Assembly elections. The election is being held today for 19 vacant seats in the National Assembly. Five candidates from three parties are in the fray for the two seats becoming vacant from Karnali.

Chief Minister of Karnali Province, Yamlal Kandel, cast the first vote at the polling center established at the Provincial Election Office.

Four candidates are competing for the two vacant seats in Karnali. From the Congress-UML alliance, Lalit Shahi of the Nepali Congress and Mina Singh Rakhal of the CPN-UML are candidates. The Maoist Center has fielded Durga Sharma and Annu Mahatara Shahi as its candidates.

In the National Assembly election, the Maoist Center appears likely to lose the one seat it currently holds from Karnali. It is estimated that the UML will succeed in retaining one seat, while the Congress will add one seat in Karnali.

The Congress-UML alliance holds a majority in the weighted voting of Karnali Provincial Assembly members and local level representatives. The total vote weight of the two parties is 3,058.