KATHMANDU: Counting of votes for the post of Vice President under the 14th General Convention of the Nepali Congress is underway.

The counting of votes started from 6 pm on Wednesday at the party’s central office in Sanepa.

According to the Election Committee, 3558 votes have been counted so far.

According to the results so far, Purna Bahadur Khadka has taken the lead. He has got 1634 votes while Bijay Kumar Gachhadhar has got 1443 votes.

Meanwhile, Dhanraj Gurung has got 1267 votes, and another contender Chandra Bhandari got 1257 votes.

Gurung and Bhandari belong to the Shekhar Koirala camp while Khadka and Gachchhadar are the candidates of NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba camp.

According to NC Election Committee, the counting of votes for the post of vice president is being held in three different places at the party office, Sanepa, Kathmandu.

There are seven candidates vying for two posts of vice-president in the NC.

Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar and Purna Bahadur Khadka are contesting the vice presidency from the panel of President Sher Bahadur Deuba; Dhanraj Gurung and Chandra Bhandari from the panel of Dr. Shekhar Koirala; Sujata Koirala from the panel of Prakash Man Singh and Divyeshwari Sah from the panel of Bimalendra Nidhi. Similarly, Mahesh Acharya is also in the fray.

Sher Bahadur Deuba has been re-elected as NC president from the 14th general convention.

Sitaram KC, a member of the NC Election Committee, said votes of General Secretary’s post would be counted after the two vice presidents are declared.

Counting is expected to be over by 10 pm and results will be made public as soon as possible, said NC Election Committee.