Kathmandu, October 9
Voting to elect the new Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress under its 15th General Convention has begun on Friday, a day later than originally planned.
The election, initially scheduled for Thursday, was postponed due to delays in preparations. Election Committee coordinator and senior advocate Prem Bahadur Khadka said all necessary preparations had been completed, but voting was deferred to Friday morning to avoid inconveniencing voters if the process began late in the evening.
Election Committee member-secretary Raju Katuwal also cited bad weather, technical issues and the difficulties delegates would face if voting continued through the night.
A total of 7,317 convention delegates are eligible to vote. Each delegate will have to cast votes on 23 ballot papers, with the process estimated to take around 30 minutes per voter.
The Election Committee expects voting to conclude by around 3pm if it begins as scheduled.
Voting at National Assembly Hall and Khula Manch
Polling booths have been set up at the National Assembly Hall and Khula Manch along Exhibition Road in Kathmandu.
Delegates from Bagmati Province will vote at the National Assembly Hall, while representatives from the remaining six provinces and Nepali Janasamparka Samitis abroad will cast their ballots at Khula Manch.
At Khula Manch, delegates from Koshi and Madhesh provinces will vote in the Tarai-Madhesh Hall, while those from Gandaki Province will vote in the Himal Hall.
The Pahad Hall will accommodate delegates from Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces, along with representatives elected through Nepali Janasamparka Samitis.
Before voting, each delegate’s identity card and name on the voter list will be verified. Only after verification will delegates be allowed to cast their ballots.
The Election Committee said ballot boxes would be collected after voting concludes and taken to the party’s central office in Sanepa, Lalitpur, where counting will begin.
