Nepal polls: Left alliance secures two-third majority in parliament

Kathmandu [Nepal]: The Left Alliance of Nepal - the Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist Leninist (CPM-UML) and the Maoist Centre - have secured two-third majority in the parliament.

With the vote counting for one seat left by 11 pm (local time) on Tuesday, the data from the Election Commission of Nepal showed 80 seats for the UML followed by ally Maoist Centre with victory over 36 seats.

The UML also has maintained its lead in the remaining vote count for the seat. The difference between the UML and the Nepali Congress is said to be about 90 thousand votes.

The Nepali Congress has been confined to 22 seats in the parliament prompting the president of the party, Sher Bahadur Deuba, to step down as the acting prime minister.

The Rastriya Janata Party has garnered 11 seats in the parliament.

"Though the vote count under the FPTP system has given left alliance a clear two-third majority, it will be quashed down by the PR system of vote count. As of now the Nepali Congress will shorten its distance to be the second largest party in the parliament with the seats which it will gain from the PR system if we go on party basis as the merger between the UML is MC is yet to take," Ashok Poudel, a local journalist covering the election - 2017 told ANI.

"In case the merger between UML and Maoist Centre fails, the Nepali Congress will gain the status of second party in the parliament on the basis of the seats gained," Poudel added.

The merger of the parties is yet is to be completed.

As per the predictions made by the politics pandits of Kathmandu, the UML is expected to get seats ranging between 120-125, Nepali Congress between 60-65 and the Maoist Centre between 50-55.

With the vote counting and the results of the House of Representatives and the Provincial Council underway in Nepal, the new government is expected to be formed by mid of January.