Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari re-elected to second term in office

Nepal's first woman president Bidya Devi Bhandari was today re-elected for a second term in office. 

Incumbent President Bhandari defeated Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai with an overwhelming majority in the presidential election. 

Bhandari, 56, won since her nomination was backed by the ruling Left alliance of the CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre), the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal and other fringe parties. 

She became Nepal's first woman president in 2015. 

Main opposition party Nepali Congress had fielded former lawmaker Kumari Laxmi Rai against incumbent President Bhandari in the run for the top post. 

Bhandari had been endorsed by the left-alliance. Federal Socialist Forum Nepal, Rastriya Janata Party Nepal, and other fringe parties had also backed Bhandari.

President Bhandari received 39,275 votes, while NC lawmaker Rai received 11,730 votes. President Bhandari has won by 27,545 votes. Vote-weightage of each voter of the House of Representatives and National Assembly was 79, while that of each Provincial Assembly member was equivalent to 48.

The voting had begun from 10:00 am and went on till 3:00 pm today. Meanwhile, the counting of votes started at 4:00 pm following the conclusion of ballot casting. An electoral college comprising Members of Federal Parliament and Province Assemblies had cast their votes to elect the President.

As many as 862 votes were cast in the presidential election today at the Federal Parliament Building in New Baneshwor, Kathmandu.

(With inputs from Agencies)