DHARAN: Nepali Congress (NC) candidate has maintained a lead in the by-elections held for the Mayor of Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City.

As per the latest vote count, NC’s Tilak Rai has got 19,827 votes and his closest contestant Prakash Rai of Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has garnered 19,120 votes.

NCP candidate Prakash is trailing by 707 votes.

According to District Election Office, Sunsari, vote counting for wards 12, 13,14,15,16,17,18,19 and 20 has completed.