Voting for presidential election to elect the third President of Nepal has concluded at Parliament Building in New Baneshwor, Kathmandu, on Tuesday and counting has started, The Kathmandu Post reports.

The voting started at 10 am and concluded at 3 pm. The counting of votes begins at 4 pm. The election result will be known within the next two and a half hours, Election Commission spokesperson Nawaraj Dhakal said.

A total of 862 votes were cast in the election. Dhakal said 326 members of federal parliament and 536 members of provincial assemblies voted cast their votes.

Incumbent President Bidya Devi Bhandari and Nepali Congress leader Kumari Laxmi Rai are vying for the post of President.

An electoral college, including the members of federal parliament and provincial assemblies, cast their votes in the election.

According to the Act for the Election of President and Deputy President, each vote of lawmaker in the Federal Parliament will have a weightage of 79 and those from Provincial Assemblies 48.

A total of 334 members of the federal parliament including 275 members of the House of Representatives and 59 of the National Assembly, and 550 members of Provincial Assemblies cast their votes in election.