KATHMANDU: Voting is underway to elect a new central leadership of the Nepali Congress (NC) for its 15th general convention.

Voting for the election of the new leadership of the Nepali Congress will begin at 1 pm. Coordinator of the Central Election Committee and senior advocate Prem Bahadur Khadka said that the voting will start from noon due to rain and technical reasons.

The 7,255 delegates who participated in the general convention will vote to elect the new central working committee. The election committee has released the final list of candidates for the post of president, office-bearers and central members on Wednesday evening.

The election committee will hold discussions with all the candidates for the post of president, vice-president and general secretary at 11.30 am at the Election Office, the City Hall, according to election committee member-secretary Raju Katuwa.

The committee has also asked people not to stand in the queue since morning. Separate polling stations have been arranged for the voting on the basis of the province and representation of the general convention representatives.

According to the revised election schedule made public by the Election Committee, the representatives of Bagmati Province will cast their votes from Polling Station ‘A’ located in the National Assembly Hall. Khula Manch has been designated as Polling Station ‘B’. Khula Manch has been designated as a polling station for the representatives of Koshi Province and Tarai-Madhes group.

Similarly, the representatives of Gandaki Province in the Khula Manch will vote from the Himal Hall. The Tarai-Madhes Hall has been designated for the representatives of Madhes Province in the Khula Manch.

Representatives of Lumbini Province, Karnali Province, Sudurpaschim Province, Nepali Janasamparka Samiti and its sister organizations will cast their votes from the hill hall at Khula Manch.

The election committee has asked the delegates to go to the polling stations of their designated provinces and groups to vote after entering the polling place. Before voting, the identity card and voter list of the representatives will be verified.

According to the Election Committee, they will not be allowed to enter the polling place with mobile phones and other materials prohibited by the election code of conduct. Delegates will be allowed to vote only after completing the process prescribed by the Election Committee.

The process of registration of candidacy, claims and withdrawal of candidacy for the election of the Central Working Committee under the 15th General Convention of the Congress has been completed. After this, the election committee has published the final list of candidates.

Now, the central members of various posts including the president, vice-president, general secretary, joint general secretary will be elected through voting. The counting of votes will begin after the voting to elect the new leadership, the election committee said.

The party’s 15th general convention has amended the party’s statute to form a 297-member central working committee.

Polling Stations and Representative Groups

National Assembly House, Polling Station ‘A’

Bagmati Pradesh

Polling Station ‘B’ at Khula Manch

Koshi Province and Tarai-Madhes Group

Himal Hall

Gandaki Province

Tarai–Madhes Hall

Madhesh Province

Mountain Hall

Representatives of Lumbini Province, Karnali Province, Sudurpaschim Province, Nepali Janasamparka Samiti and sister organizations

According to the Election Committee, the counting of votes will begin after the completion of voting and the results will be made public once the vote counting is over.