Prakash Man Singh heading for victory in Kathmandu-1 (BREAKING NEWS)

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 11 April: Prakash Man Singh of Nepali Congress is leading comfortably for a possibly victory in Kathmandu-1 where he has collected 4,782 votes until four in the forming Thursday.
Singh is the son of Ganesh Man Singh.
Education Minister Pradip Nepal of CPN-UML has got 2,074 votes followed by Dr Ram Man Shrestha of CPN (Maoist).
Votes were cast electronically in Kathmandu-1—the only constituency with electronic voting facility.
In Kathmandu-5, Narahari Acharya (NC) is leading with 314 votes, followed by Ishwar Pokhrel of CPN-UML with 225 votes and Debendra Maharjan Maoists collecting 226 votes.
RPP-Nepal Chairman Kamal Thapa is in fourth place with 82 votes.
First trend shows the Congress has gained with a split in the communist vote in the Nepalese capital, a traditional hold of CPN-UML.
Kathmandu is sending seven assembly members to the 601-member constituent assembly to draft a new constitution.
Maoists, contesting elections for the first time after the 12-year people’s war, are establishing as he third party in the capital.
If the early trend continues, the traditional hold of the CPN-UML over the capital could be smashed by Congress largely because of a split in the communist rank.
Maoists charged India and USA pressured CPN-UML not to go for an electoral adjustment with CPN (Maosit) to stop Maoists from winning elections.
Counting of votes is starting in different places outside the Valley.
Vote counting is expected to start in Nepalgunj-4 soon.
One ballot box has gone missing and three boxes fell while being transported to Jajarkot district headquarters.
Vote counting has also started in Bhaktapur.
Report and analysis is based in hourly news flashes of Radio Nepal.
Possible vote theft was reported in a Dhanusha constituency where three unaccounted boxes were gathered at the base camp of Armed Police Force in one constituency.
Supporters of Tarai Madesh Loktantrik party surrounded the camp demanding an impartial probe into the theft of three boxes.
CPN-UML has said it will stake a claim to lead government and replace Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala if it emerges as the largest single party.
Analysts expect a hung assembly to be dominated by Congress, CPN-UML and Maoists.
The tarai vote be the decider.
The boycott call by armed rebels affected voting but turnout was still more than 50 percent in the region.
Impressive showing by three new regional parties could cut into vote banks of the Congress and the CPN-UML.
There were massive threats and intimidation in Thursday’s vote.
Pampha Bhusal of Maoists is leading in one constituency in Lalitpur
with 965 votes; Raghuji Pant of CPN-UML is trailing ; Congress is leading in another constituency in Lalitpur where incumbent Siddhi Lal Singh of CPN-UML is trailing.
If this is a trend, CPN-UML is heading for a reverse in the Valley-- its stronghold.

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