DAMAULI: The recount of votes for the mayoral election in Byas municipality of Tanahu is scheduled to begin on June 16.

This follows a High Court order mandating a recount after the latest local elections held on May 13, 2022.

On May 14, the High Court, Patan ordered a recount of the votes, with the full text of the order released on Friday.

The court stipulated that the recount must be completed within a month.

The recount will commence at 10:00 am on June 16 at the meeting hall of the High Court in Pokhara.

The decision was made by a division bench comprising Judges Rajan Prasad Bhattarai and Nirmala Poudel Bhattarai, who rescinded the previous vote count and ordered a fresh tally.

Mayoral candidate Deepak Raj Joshi filed a petition on May 26, 2022, alleging vote rigging.

The court’s order for a recount was in response to this writ.

In the original election results, Baikuntha Neupane was declared the winner with 12,078 votes, while his closest rival, Joshi, secured 11,826 votes.

During the election, Joshi was allegedly assaulted after ballots were torn in Risti of Byas municipality-8, leading to a re-vote for that ward.

The upcoming recount aims to ensure the integrity of the election results. RSS