CPN-UML candidate Daman Bahadur Bhandari has taken an early lead as the counting of votes cast in Bajhang (A) by-election is underway on Sunday.

Bhandari has received 757 votes with votes cast in wards 1 and 2 of Chhabis Pathibhera Rural Municipality counted. Abhishek Bahadur Singh of the Nepali Congress has garnered 380 votes.

Janak Bahadur Budha of the CPN (Maoist Centre) is third in the election race with 226 votes.

Dil Bahadur Singh of the CPN (Unified Socialist) has got 115 votes while Kishor Kumar Khadka of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party has received nine votes so far.

As many as 11 candidates have contested the by-polls for the provincial assembly seat.

The Bajhang (A) bypoll was conducted for a seat in the Sudurpaschim Assembly which remains vacant after Prithvi Bahadur Singh, a member and provincial minister, died in a road accident in June last year.