Nepalese turned out to vote for peace and democracy in their millions in historic elections marred by a few outbreaks of violence.
Two people died in separate incidents and polling was suspended in 33 out of 21,000 polling stations.
The elections for a new assembly are likely to spell an end to the country’s 239-year-old monarchy and see a new constitution drafted that will bring peace after 10 years of Maoist insurgency.
After widespread fears in recent weeks that the country was too unstable to hold elections at all, the day was greeted as a great success.
There had been no election in the country of 27 million people since 1999.
The slogan raised by all the major parties is for a “new Nepal”, and the electoral system guarantees greater representation to the country’s many disempowered castes and ethnic groups.
At a polling station in the capital, 84-year-old Bhanudas Mahajan was pushed in a wheelchair to cast his vote.
“I’m satisfied,” he said, explaining that he chose the Maoists because “it is a new party.” Like many, he was demanding change.
Polling stations across the city witnessed a rush of voters in the morning and had recorded a 50 per cent turnout by midday. The election commission estimated turnout at 60 per cent nationally.
Watching the polling was Devendra Raj Pandey, a former finance minister turned democracy campaigner. “I’m so excited I can’t tell you,” he said. “After all the fears of violence we can be very proud of ourselves.
“When you look at the people you feel hope,” he said. “It’s when I look at the political leaders that I feel numb in a way.”
The results may not be known for several weeks due to the need for re-running the polling in some areas before the complicated proportional representation system can be calculated.

telegraph.co.uk