KATHMANDU: The voting to elect a new leadership of the Nepali Congress under the 14^th General Convention is underway. The voting which was scheduled to begin at 8 am today has begun after three hours at 11 am.

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

Of the 167-member Central Working Committee of the NC, 134 members and office bearers will be elected today while the remaining 33 members will be nominated by the president as per the statute of the party.

Polling stations have been arranged in two places at Bhrikuti Mandap where 3,400 representatives will cast their votes.

Similarly, 1,300 will cast votes at the polling station set up at Rastriya Sabhagriha, according to the election committee

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.