The Bhutanese Leading the way.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) replicated their primary elections win as it dominated the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) in Wangdue Phodrang’s Athang-Thedtsho and Nyisho-Sephu constituencies.
In the Athang-Thedtsho constituency, which has 8,773 total registered voters, the PDP candidate Tandin Wangchuk got 632 postal ballot votes and 3,199 electronic voting machine (EVM) votes, whereas DPT candidate Passang Thrinlee got only 217 postal ballots and 2352 EVM.
In Nyisho-Sephu, where there are 8,978 total registered voters, PDP candidate Kuenga locked 520 votes in postal ballots and 3,128 votes in EVM, whereas, former MP Gem Dorji could only get 252 votes in postal ballots and 3,064 votes in the EVM.
In the primary round of elections, the PDP got 5,631 of total votes and in this general round they got 7,479 of total votes in Wangdue Phodrang. The DPT could only manage 5,883 of total votes this general round of elections and 4,268 in primary round.
When asked about winning in Nyisho-Sephu, PDP’s Kuenga said most of the people from Nyisho-Sephu saw their former MP only after five years, so that might be the reason.
“The old MP didn’t serve our people in the way people expected from him,” he added.
PDP candidate Kuenga promised the people of his constituency that his first step will be to fulfill all the promises and will immediately approach to Indian government for current problems faced by Bhutanese.
“I am happy, and will serve the people with full dedication,” he said.
In Chukha’s Bongo-Chapcha constituency, a vote bank of 12,136 total registered voters, the PDP candidate Dawa Gyeltshen got 958 and 5,271 of total votes including postal ballots and EVM respectively.
Whereas Druk Phuensum Tshogpa’s candidate Ugay Tshering could manage only 192 and 2,470 total votes including postal ballots and EVM votes.
Total registered voters in Phuntsholing constituency is 9,181, out of which the PDP candidate Rinzin Dorji got 237 and 4,624 of total votes including postal ballots and EVM respectively, while DPT’s Chencho Dorji could manage just 76 and 1,827 of total votes including postal ballots and EVM respectively.
In the primary rounds, PDP got 5,632 of total votes and DPT got 3,326 in Chukha, whereas in this general round of elections, PDP managed to get 11,090 and DPT could secure 4,565 of total votes, thereby, giving a significant edge to PDP in Chukha.
The constituencies of Thimphu, however, preferred to stay with DPT. In the North Thimphu constituency, which has 5,858 total registered voters, PDP’s Sangay Tshoki got 167 and 1,847 of total votes including postal ballots and EVM respectively, whereas Kinga Tshering the DPT candidate got 159 and 1,888 of total votes including postal ballots and EVM respectively.
In South-Thimphu where there are 6,595 total registered voters. PDP candidate Tandin Wangmo won in postal ballots securing 253, but couldn’t repeat the win in EVM, where former works and human settlement minister Yeshey Zimba, the DPT south Thimphu candidate secured 2,445 votes.
In primary round of elections, DPT managed to get 3,757 of total votes, whereas in general round of election, DPT got 4,696 of total votes from Thimphu. PDP managed to get only 1,823 extra votes compared to the primary round and both its women candidates couldn’t beat the DPT men.
Many people wanted change, and therefore, awarded the 32-15 seats victory to PDP, in 2013. Nevertheless, the people are now eager to know how PDP will fulfill the pledges made during their campaigns.
