Nepal polls: RSP wins 125 seats followed by NC with 18

Kathmandu, Mar 9 (PTI) The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is heading towards a two-thirds majority in Nepal's parliamentary polls, securing 125 seats under direct voting and over 40 lakh votes under the proportionate-voting system as on Monday Evening.

Out of 164 seats declared so far under direct voting, RSP has won 125 seats, while Nepali Congress (NC) has won 18 seats.

The CPN-UML has won nine seats, the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) seven, and the Shram Sanskriti Party (SSP) three, while the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) and an Independent candidate have won one seat each.

Under proportionate voting, the RSP has secured 48,29,910 votes, followed by the NC at 16,28,704, the CPN-UML 1,35,939, the NCP 7,38,067, the Shram Sanskriti Party 341,518, the Janata Samajwadi Party 1,16,463 and the Rastriya Parivartan Party 317,46 votes.

With more than 40 lakh votes under the proportional representation system, the RSP is expected to secure at least 48 additional seats, taking its tally to around 164 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives, which is well above the 138 needed for a simple majority, political observers said.

Nepal is set to witness its first Madhesi prime minister -- Balendra Shah -- who will also be the youngest elected executive head in the history of the Himalayan country. PTI SBP RC SCY AMS