Kathmandu, Oct. 10 -- Gagan Kumar Thapa was elected president of Nepal's Nepali Congress after securing 6,584 votes at the party's 15th General Convention, according to the official results announced by the party's Central Election Committee.

Thapa defeated Shyam Krishna Khadgi, who received 375 votes. The election recorded 7,013 total votes cast, of which 6,959 were valid and 54 were invalid, according to the results.

Polls opened on Friday morning to elect a new Central Working Committee, a day later than planned, with the senior-most general convention representative, Shobhakanta Baral, casting the first ballot. A total of 7,317 eligible representatives were eligible to vote. Delegates lined up early, with some keen to vote and retur...