KATHMANDU: Kirtipur municipality recorded a voter turnout of 67% in the recently concluded by-elections, a notable decline from the 79.24% turnout in the 2022 local elections.
This year, Kirtipur had 31,122 registered voters. However, preliminary estimates from the Election Commission indicate that only around 20,000 votes were cast.
In comparison, the 2022 elections saw 24,032 votes cast out of 30,322 registered voters, marking a 12% decrease in turnout.
According to an election official, “This is preliminary data. The ballot boxes are still being sealed, and final details are yet to come.”
In Kirtipur, 11 independent candidates and 8 party-affiliated candidates competed in the by-election.
During the 2022 elections, Nepali Congress candidate Rajkumar Nakarmi was elected mayor with 9,043 votes, defeating CPN-UML candidate Kesharatna Bajracharya by a margin of 3,536 votes.
Similarly, Kathmandu ward no. 16 saw an estimated voter turnout of just 50%, according to preliminary data from the Election Commission.
In the 2022 elections, the ward had 10,060 votes cast for the ward chairperson position, indicating a decline in participation this time.
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