There is no huge gap between the total number of votes received by the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress in the first and second phases of local level elections but the former has outmatched the ruling party in the number of seats won.
According to the data compiled by the Information Technology Management Department of the Election Commission, the UML secured 36.82 percent of the total valid votes in the two phases of the local polls. A total of 51,482,433 votes were valid in the two rounds.
The UML won 45.21 percent seats. It bagged 12,845 seats in the seven posts of mayor/chairperson, deputy mayor/vice-chairperson, ward chairperson, ward members, women ward members and Dalit women ward members. The UML topped all charts.
The percentage of seats won by the NC and the CPN (Maoist Centre) is closer to the percentage of votes they secured respectively, according to the EC data. The NC secured 34.42 percent of total votes and 34.17 percent of the seats--9,708.
In case of coalition partner Maoist Centre, the party secured 17.67 percent of total votes. The former rebel party registered victory in 4,313 posts, or 15.18 percent of the total positions. The big three parties came victorious in 95 percent of the seats. Despite getting the top spot, the UML feels it could have done better. Rabindra Adhikari, one of the key election campaigners from the UML, said there was a wave of support for his party across the country.
“We don’t see many differences in votes the NC and the UML have got since the 1991 parliamentary elections but the seats they secure vary due to the public mood before the elections,” he said.
The NC blamed intra-party dispute and its delay in announcing candidates for the UML’s success. “Besides internal issues, the UML also manipulated the formation
of local units through the Local Level Restructuring Commission,” said NC leader Ramesh Lekhak.
Both the parties claim to become the number one force when the third phase of local elections is held in Province 2 on September 18. In the last two phases of local elections, smaller parties fared very poorly. The Rastriya Prajatantra Party, which was seen as a competitor of the Maoist Centre, came fourth in terms of the votes won but fifth considering the number of seats won. It secured 3.66 percent votes and 257 seats.
The Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal, in coordination with the Naya Shakti Party-Nepal, won 2.47 percent of the total valid votes. But the alliance came fourth with victory in 470 seats, according to the election authority.
Figures from 2 phases of local polls
Parties 1st Phase 2nd Phase Total Vote Share
UML 8,574,950 10,384,536 18,959,486 36.82%
NC 8,109,974 9,611,208 17,721,182 34.42%
CPN (MC) 4,119,260 4,979,608 9098868 17.67%
Source: Election Commission
http://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2017-08-06/uml-won-most-seats-with-vote-share-like-ncs.html
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