Election for 18 new NA members taking place today

KATHMANDU: Election for the member of the National Assembly (NA) is taking place in all seven states today (Thursday).

Returning officers and security personnel have already reached all the voting centers. A total of 45 candidates from six political parties are contesting in the election.

Chief Election Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya said that voting would take place from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Thursday for 18 National Assembly member posts.

State assembly members, mayors, and deputy-mayors of municipalities and chairperson and vice-chairpersons of rural municipalities of the districts, where the election is taking place, have already reached the district headquarters to cast votes, according to the Election Commission.

The NA election is taking place in the district headquarters, where high courts of seven states are located, are Morang, Dhanusha, Lalitpur, Kaski, Dang, Surkhet, and Doti.

District judges of these districts have already been assigned as returning officers.

A total of 2,056 voters, including 550 state assembly members and 1,506 mayors, deputy-mayors, chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of local levels will cast votes.

According to the EC, all necessary security arrangements have been made smooth and reliable.

The EC said that the weightage of a vote of State Assembly member has been determined 48 while one vote of mayor, deputy-mayor of municipalities and chairperson and vice-chairperson of rural municipalities carries a weight of 18.

The term of 19 members of 59-memebr National Assembly is terminating on March 3. The election is taking place to elect 18 new members of the 19 National Assembly members whose term is ending on March 3.