KATHMANDU:  Deepak Bahadur Singh of Ratriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) is taking a lead with 8,265 votes in the Hetauda sub-metropolis of Makwanpur.

Hetauda sub-metropolis, which is taken as a stronghold of CPN-UML, appears weak in the competition this time.

With 22,850 votes counted so far, the CPN (Unified Socialist) is behind with 198 votes. Meena Kumari Lama of CPN (Maoist Center), a candidate from the coalition, got 8,067 votes.

Similarly, CPN-UML candidate Ananta Poudel backed by RPP-Nepal led by Kamal Thapa is in the third position with 6,521 votes.

Rajesh Baniya of the Nepali Congress, who has become the candidate for the post of deputy mayor from the alliance, has been widening the gap.