CHITWAN: CPN (Maoist Center)’s candidate Renu Dahal, representing the five-party alliance, has taken the lead with a margin of 5,733 votes for the post of Mayor in Bharatpur Metropolitan City.

A candidate of UCPN (Maoist Centre), Dahal has received 29,478 votes in the vote count that has taken place in 1 to 14 wards.  Vote counting in ward number 15 and 16 is underway.

Her nearest rival, Bijay Subedi of the CPN-UML, has received 23,475 votes. Independent candidate Jagannath Poudel is third with 10,334 votes, according to the Office of the Chief Returning Officer.

Likewise, for the post of deputy mayor of the metropolis, Chitrasen Adhikari of the Nepali Congress has taken the lead over Himala Gurung of RPP by a margin of 13,423 votes. Adhikari has so far garnered 31,824 votes while Gurung has received 18,401 votes.

A total of 127,839 votes have been cast in Bharatpur Metropolitan City in the local level elections held on May 13.