Kathmandu, Mar 9 (PTI) Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Thursday congratulated President-elect Ram Chandra Poudel of Nepali Congress on his victory in the presidential election.

The 78-year-old leader, a common candidate of the eight-party alliance that included Nepali Congress and Prime Minister 'Prachanda'-led CPN (Maoist Center), defeated his rival Subas Chandra Nebmang of the CPN-UML.

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After winning the election, Poudel reached the PM's official residence at Baluwatar, where he was welcomed by Prime Minister 'Prachanda'. Poudel was accompanied by his wife Sabita Poudel.

Prime Minister 'Prachanda' congratulated the President-elect and honoured him with a Khada (a kind of shawl).

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"I am confident that your tenure as the President of Nepal will be remembered as a guardian of the nation, protector of the Constitution, and pride of the republican system," he said in a tweet.

He also thanked all the lawmakers who voted in the presidential election.

The swearing-in ceremony of the newly-elected President is likely to be held on March 13. He will be sworn-in by Nepal's Chief Justice.

The tenure of the current president, Bidya Devi Bhandari, will end on March 12.

This is the third presidential election in Nepal since the country became a republic in 2008.

Although the post of President is largely ceremonial, Nepal's political parties have lately shown a growing interest in the post owing to the discretionary powers the Constitution accords to the post.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)