KATHMANDU: Independent candidate Balen Shah has continued leading the race by getting 33,624 votes for the next mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

His nearest rival CPN-UML’s Keshav Sthapit has got 18,189 votes so far while Nepali Congress candidate Sirjana Singh has got 18,054 votes. Balen has led Sthapit with a margin of 15,435 votes.

Similarly, for the post of deputy mayor, CPN-UML’s Sunita Dangol has garnered 26,575 votes. Her rival Rameshwor Shrestha of CPN (Unified Socialist), the candidate from the ruling alliance, has got 8,591

So far, the votes of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 28, 29, 30, and 32 wards of KMC have been completed while the counting of votes of 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 31 wards are underway at Rastriya Sabha Griha (City Hall).