By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 20: The Nepali Congress Central Election Committee on Sunday concluded the vote counting of its Central Working Committee members of the open category.
The NCCEC informed that 35 candidates secured the victory in the elections held under the open category. Altogether 99 leaders were in fray for the 35 seats.

Of the 99 candidates vying for the post of central members, Dr. Shashank Koirala is elected securing the highest votes at 3,836 followed by NP Saud, who garnered 2,937 votes.
Likewise, Home Minister Bal Krishna Khand is elected by obtaining the third largest votes at 2,879.
Other leaders who got elected include Udaya Shumsher Rana (with 2,843 votes), Ram Hari Khatiwada (2,832), Communication and Information Technology Minister Gynendra Bahadur Karki (2,820), Ramesh Lekhak (2,780), Shankar Bhandari (2,768), Jip Tshering Lama (2,702) and Arjun Narasingh KC (2,650).

Likewise, Jeet Jung Basnet, Gopal Man Shrestha, Mohan Bahadur Basnet, Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Nain Singh  Mahar, Dilendra Prasad Badu, Dr. Ram Sharan Mahat,  Bal Bahadur KC, Govinda Bhattarai, Kundan Raj Kafle, Dipak Giri, Surendra Raj Pandey, Padma Narayan Chaudhari, Rajib Dhungana, Guru Baral, Sanjay Kumar Gautam, Dr. Govinda Raj Pokharel, Madan Bahadur Amatya, Ajaya Babu Shiwakoti, Ganesh Lama, Dinesh Koirala, Umesh Jung Rayamajhi, Mohan Acharya, Gopal Dahit and Krishna Kishor Ghimire were elected.

Krishna Kishor Ghimire garnered 1,707 votes, the lowest among those elected. Of the 35 members, 16 are new faces in the central committee.

Of those who lost the election, Manoj Mani Acharya had secured the highest votes at 1,654 and Purushottam Lamichhane got the lowest, only 160 votes.
No woman candidate contested for the central committee members under open category.

In the elections held on Monday last week, 4,662 votes were cast. The NCCEC said counting of women central members had begun.