NC heads for second round of election

KATHMANDU, March 7: Nepali Congress went for the second round of presidential polls for the first time in its history after candidates vying for the top post failed to garner majority votes at the NC 13th General Convention.

All three candidates in the fray could not surpass the 50 per cent of the total votes cast, the threshold set as per party statute, at the election held on Sunday at the City Hall. The party was forced into a second round of voting which is taking place today.


NC senior leader Sher Bahadur Deuba's votes were counted at 1,564 as of 5:30 am while acting President Ram Chandra Poudel garnered 1,152 votes.

Although Deuba was ahead in the polls, he needed 11 more votes to win the election. Another candidate for the presidency, Krishna Prasad Sitaula garnered only 324 votes. A total of 100 votes became invalid, according to the Election Committee.

The NC adopted the 50 percent threshold since its 10th National Convention held in Pokhara in February 2001 RSS

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