Kathmandu, Dec 13 (PTI) The Nepali Congress delegates are voting on Monday to elect a new president of the ruling party for the next four years.

The voting, originally scheduled to begin at 8 AM, started at 11.30 AM due to some technical reason, according to party officials.

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As many as 4,743 delegates from across the country are voting to elect a new leadership and central executive committee of the party on the final day of the Nepali Congress' 14th General Convention at the Bhrikuti Mandap in the capital.

Voting is likely to continue till 9 PM, according to party sources. The result is likely to be declared on Tuesday.

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According to the party's central office, five candidates are vying for the post of the party president, seven for the post of two vice-presidents, six for the two general secretaries, and 19 nominations have been registered for eight assistant general secretaries.

Seventy-five year old Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba's party presidency is being challenged by four other contestants, including former party general secretary Prakash Man Singh, central committee members Shekhar Koirala, Bimalendra Nidhi and Kalyan Gurung.

To be elected president, a candidate must secure 50 per cent plus one vote. If the votes are split a second round will be held.

If no one gets 50 per cent plus one vote in the first and second rounds of voting, then the two candidates with highest votes will contest a round among themselves.

Observers are expecting Prime Minister Deuba to be re-elected as the party president.

In the last convention held in March 2016, Deuba had won in a run-off.

As many as 548 nominations were filed for the 134 posts of office bearers and members of the new central committee of the party.

(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)