Nepal gets first female president, Bidhya Devi Bhandari creates history

Kathmandu, Oct 28: Bidhya Devi Bhandari from the ruling CPN-UML was today elected as Nepal's first woman President after she defeated her rival from Nepali Congress by more than 100 votes.

Voting for the first presidential election after promulgation of new constitution took place on Wednesday. She defeated Nepali Congress leader Kul Bahadur Gurung.

Bhandari got 327 votes, 28 more than 299 votes that she needed to be elected as the president of Nepal. This was announced by Parliament Speaker Onsari Gharti. Bhandari has long campaigned for women's rights in Nepal.

She became second president of Nepal since the Himalayan nation was turned into a republic after abolishing the centuries-old monarchy.

Bhandari will succeed incumbent Ram Baran Yadav who was elected as the first President of Nepal in 2008 after the country was declared a republic. Yadav served for seven years because it took that long for the Constitution to be prepared and adopted.

She was supported by 14 political parties including her party.

OneIndia News (With inputs from agency)