KATHMANDU:  The voting scheduled to elect the new leadership of the Nepali Congress has been delayed by one hour.

The voting which was set to begin at 8 am has been delayed by one hour, informed Dr Suresh Acharya, the coordinator of the General Convention Media Center. Currently, representatives have started queuing up in the line eagerly to cast their votes for the leaders of their choice.

More than 4,700 representatives are casting their votes to elect a 134-member Central Working Committee (CWC) including 13 office-bearers.

According to the committee, 514 booths have been set up at Bhrikuti Mandap and 300 at the Rastriya Sabhagriha and Mahendra Police Club.

The general convention started on Friday. Five candidates are vying for the post of president, seven for two vice-presidents, six for two general secretaries and 19 for eight deputy general secretaries.

Similarly, 429 candidates are vying for the post of 121 members.

President Sher Bahadur Deuba, Dr Shekhar Koirala, Prakash Man Singh, Bimalendra Nidhi and Kalyan Gurung are contesting for the post of President.

The Deuba-Krishna Sitaula panel seems to be hopeful of winning the election from the first round itself while Koirala, Singh and Nidhi, who have formed separate groups, are making the strategy to take the election to the second round.