RUKUM: Purna Bahadur Ghartimagar of the CPN-Maoist Center has been elected as a member of the House of Representatives from Rukum East.

Ghartimagar won by the wide vote difference of 7,051 votes.

While he got 12,262 votes, his nearest rival, CPN UML candidate Kailash Kumar Malla got 5,211 votes.

Earlier, Ghartimagar was the Speaker of the Lumbini State Assembly.

Surul Punmagar, who rebelled from the Maoist Center and  ran as an independent candidate, has won in PA-1 from Rukum East.