KATHMANDU: Independent candidate Balen Shah has continued leading the race by getting 25,417 votes for the next mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

His nearest rival CPN-UML’s Keshav Sthapit has got 13,499 votes so far while Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Singh has got 12,842 votes.

Similarly, deputy mayoral candidate Sunita Dangol of CPN-UML has polled 24,592 while CPN (Unified Socialist)’s Rameshwor Shrestha got 7,868.

The counting of votes in wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32 of Kathmandu Metropolis has been completed. Over 65,000 votes have been counted so far. The counting is underway.