The CPN-UML and Nepali Congress were locked in a neck-and-neck fight today while the Maoists faced a rout in the election to choose an assembly that will draft Nepal's new Constitution and end the political turmoil in the country.
The CPN-UML bagged 67 seats out of the 155 seats declared so far while Nepali Congress had won in 63 constituencies. The Prachanda-led Unified CPN-Maoist has won 14 seats.
The Jhalanath Khanal-led CPN-UML and Nepali Congress headed by Sushil Koirala were locked in a fierce battle to emerge as the leading party in the polls to elect a 601-member Constituent Assembly.
Other fringe parties including the Madhesi parties have secured 11 seats.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Terai Madhes Democratic Party and Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum (Democratic) have bagged three seats each.
Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum (Nepal) has won one seat and an independent candidate has also won in the election held on November 19.
The Madhesi parties which had joined the Maoists for power sharing have suffered significant losses in the election.
The counting of votes was still in progress for the remaining number of seats.
Top leaders who have been declared winners so far included -- CPN-UML Chairman Khanal, CPN-UML leader and former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal who has been elected from two constituencies and Unified CPN-Maoist Vice-chairman and former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai.
Nepali Congress President Sushil Koirala, senior leaders Sher Bahadur Deuba and Krishna Sitaula were also declared winners in their respective constituencies, according to the Election Commission.
Maoist supremo Prachanda has suffered a double blow as he and his daughter were handed down humiliating defeats in the polls.
Even though Prachanda has lost from Kathmandu Constituency 10 but he is also a candidate from Siraha Constituency 5, where he was leading the vote count.
Prachanda's daughter Renu Dahal lost to Nepali Congress general secretary Prakash Man Singh by a big margin.
Senior Madhesi leaders Vijaya Gachhadar and Upendra Yadav, president of MPRF (Nepal), have also been defeated in the polls.
