Kathmandu. Voting has begun to elect a member of the National Assembly. A total of 17 seats (members) have been lying vacant in the National Assembly since March 3, 2008. According to the Election Commission, voting has started from 9:00 am.

Election Commission Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said that the voting will continue till 3:00 pm today. Out of the 18 posts falling vacant, one post from the Khas Arya category in Koshi Province was unopposed. Elections for the remaining 17 posts are taking place today. Sunil Bahadur Thapa of Nepali Congress was elected unopposed as the candidate of Khas Aryatarp of Koshi Province. Voting for the remaining 17 posts has begun at the designated polling centres and polling centres in the seven provinces.

Voting is taking place at Mahendra Narayan Nidhi Mithila Culture Centre in Janakpur Sub Metropolitan City-4, Dhanusha in Bagmati Province, Bhutandevi Secondary School in Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City-4, Makwanpur.

Likewise, voting is taking place at the Gandaki Province Election Office in Pokhara, Lumbini Province Employees Meeting Centre in Ghorahi, Karnali Province Election Office in Birendranagar, Surkhet and Sudurpaschim Province Election Office Dhangadhi.

State Assembly members, mayors and deputy mayors and chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of rural municipalities will cast their votes for NA election. The weightage attached to the votes of the State Assembly members is 53 and that of the chiefs and deputy chiefs of the local levels is 19. These voters are voting at the polling place.