Dahal leads early vote counting, Nepal lags behind

KATHMANDU, NOV 20 - UCPN (Maoist) Chairman Puspa Kamal Dahal has opened an early lead in Kathmandu-10 vote counting. CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal, however, lags behind in vote counting at Rautahat-1. 

Early tallies have given edge to Dahal to his nearest rival, Rajan KC of Nepali Congress. Dahal has garnered 690 votes to KC's 671. 

Meanwhile, CPN-UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal has lagged behind to Sanghiya Samajbadi Party's Anil Jha.

Jha is leading with 416 votes followed by Ajay Gupta of Madhesi Janadhikar Forum-Loktantrik on 406. Former PM Nepal has garnered 367 votes. 

Nepal had lost to UCPN (Maoist) leader Devendra Patel in Rautahat -6 in the 2008 election. He had also lost to Jhakku Prasad Subedi of UCPN (Maoist) in Kathmandu-2.