.DHANGADHI: Independent candidate Gopal Hamal has been elected to the post of mayor of Dhangadhi sub-metropolis.

He defeated the incumbent mayor Nrip Bahadur Oad, who is also a central member of the Nepali Congress, for mayor from the ruling coalition.

Hamal got 26,865 votes while Oad got 14,817 votes.

Meanwhile, CPN-UML candidate Kandakala Kumari Rana has been elected the deputy-mayor of Dhangadhi.

She got 15,479 votes.