KATHMANDU, March 17: Voting for the election to the new vice president is underway in the Lhotse Hall of the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwar. Voting started at 10AM. Separate polling stations have been set up for federal and provincial assembly members.
Vice-presidential candidate Ramsahay Prasad Yadav was the first to cast his vote from the federal parliamentarians while Rajendra Singh Rawal of the CPN-UML cast his first vote on behalf of the provincial assemblies.
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Meanwhile, Astalaxmi Shakya, who has become a vice presidential candidate from the CPN-UML, also reached the polling station. She reached the parliament building before the voting started. But in today's election, Shakya will not be able to vote for herself or any other candidate. She is not a member of the federal parliament or a provincial assembly. So, she is not allowed to vote. According to the constitutional provisions, non-members of parliament can also become candidates for the president or vice-president. But to vote, it is mandatory to be a member of the federal parliament or the provincial assemblies.
Astalaxmi Shakya (Bohara) of the CPN-UML, Mamata Jha of the Janamat Party and Ramsahaya Prasad Yadav of the Janata Samajwadi Party are the candidates for the vice-presidential election. There are 332 voters from the federal parliament and 550 from the provincial assemblies in the election.
Voters have been lining up at the voting center from 9:00AM to cast their votes as candidates have already reached the voting center.
