CHITWAN, April 23: Voting for the by-election in Chitwan-2, Tanahun-1 and Bara-2 began at 7 am.

In Chitwan, voting began in all 138 polling centers of 43 polling stations at 7 am, said assistant returning officer Ishwori Acharya. There was an encouraging participation of voters as they queued to exercise their franchise braving hot temperature.

The constituency has a total of 124,695 eligible voters (63,291 women, 61,403 men and one third gender).

The main competitors from the constituency are Nepali Congress Jit Narayan Shrestha from the democratic-left alliance, CPN (UML)'s Ram Prasad Neupane and Rastriya Swatantra Party's Rabi Lamichhane.

Of them, Shrestha is casting his vote from the polling centre at Chartumukhi Secondary School at Shaktikhor while Neupane and Lamichhane are missing in the voter roll, it has been said.

Lamichhane vacated the House of Representatives in a citizenship case.

Similarly, voting began in Tanahun constituency 1. Voting starts in all 152 polling centres under the constituency at 7 am in a peaceful manner, said Hari Prasad Dhakal, chief of the district election office, Tanahun. People can cast their vote until 5 pm today.

Tight security arrangements have been made for the by-election, he said.

Nepali Congress (NC) candidate Gobinda Bhattarai is scheduled to cast his vote from the polling center at Tanahun Basic Secondary School in Byas Municipality-11.

CPN-UML candidate Sarbendra Khanal and Rastriya Swatantra Party's Dr Swarnim Wagle are deprived of exercising their franchise as their name is not listed on the voter roll.

Following the voting, the filled ballot boxes will be transported to Damauli in the presence of the representatives of various political parties, Min Bahadur Kunwar, assistant returning officer at the office of chief election officer. After the collection of ballot boxes, an all-party meeting will be called to count votes, he added.

Nepali Congress's Ramchandra Paudel vacated the House of Representatives seat after being elected third President of the country.

The main competitors for the seat are Bhattarai, Khanal and Wagle. The constituency has a total of 123,305 eligible voters.

In view of the voting, vehicles have been halted along Tanahun-1 section under the Prithivi Highway and local roads from 5 am to 6 pm today. However, fire engines, ambulances, hearses and vehicles carrying water, milk, garbage, health workers and journalists who have carried press passes from the Department of Information and Broadcasting will be allowed.

Likewise, voting is ongoing from 7 am in the by-election on Bara 2. Chief of the District Police Office, Bara, Hobindra Bogti said that 82 polling stations in Bara-2, where there are 105, 248 voters, have been arranged for voting by making 137 polling centers.

In by-election, Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Chairman Upendra Yadav from the ruling coalition, Shiva Chandra Kusawaha from the Janamat Party, Purushottam Paudel from the CPN-UML, Ramesh Kharel from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and independent candidate Arun Kumar Gyawali are vying for the post. 

 
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