Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) won two of the five constituencies in Trashigang.  

DNT’s Radhi-Sakteng and Thrimshing candidates, Dorji Tshering and Ugyen Dorji, won 3,550 and 2,646 votes respectively in their constituencies, ending DPT’s clean sweep during the primary round. 

After trailing by 430 votes in the postal ballot count, Dorji Tshering went on to win with a difference of 233 votes. He secured 2,259 votes on the EVM against DPT’s Tashi Dorji who secured 1,596 on EVM.

Ugyen Dorji secured 1,128 postal ballots against 1,037 for DPT’s Chenga Tshering in Thrimshing. He also secured 1,518 votes on the EVM against 1,422 for Chenga Tshering.      

DPT won Bartsham-Shongphu, Kanglung-Samkhar-Udzorong, and Wamrong constituencies. 

In Bartsham-Shongphu, DPT’s Passang Dorji secured 2,176 votes through postal ballots and 1,923 votes on EVM against DNT’s Tenzin Lekphell who received 1,721 postal ballots and 1,840 EVM votes. 

In Kanglung-Samkhar-Udzorong, postal ballots rescued DPT’s Samdrup R Wangchuk who after falling short by 289 votes on the EVM won by 28 votes on the overall count. DNT’s Tenzin Namgyel secured 2,118 votes on the EVM. The DPT candidate secured 2,037 postal ballots against DNT’s 1,720 ballots. 

In Wamrong, DPT’s candidate, Karma Thinley, secured 2,980 votes of the total 5,602 received by the constituency. He secured 1,695 and 1,285 votes on postal ballot and EVM respectively. DNT’s Jigme Wangdi secured 1,352 ballots and 1,270 votes on the EVM. 

As per the provisional results, a total of 16,285 voters turned up across the dzongkhag’s 75 polling stations yesterday. The dzongkhag saw 32,938 voters vote out of the total of 47,614 registered voters, which is an increase of 2.86 percent from the primary round.

One of the voters in Radhi, Dargay, said that it was difficult for him to decide between the two candidates until the final moment. “I wasn’t sure where to vote but I finally decided once I entered the polling station. I hope I made the right decision.”

Karma Wangdi, 77, came from Mongar along with his 48-year-old daughter to cast his vote at the Pam polling station under Kanglung-Samkhar-Udzorong constituency. 

He said that this year could be a final opportunity for him to vote, which was why he made sure he exercised his franchise. “It is a gift from the throne to us. We cannot afford to waste it. Every vote counts.”

A voter in Yonphula said that she had made no mistake in selecting her candidate this time. “I voted for the person who would benefit the country in general,” she said. “We cannot afford to be selfish with our vote. It should be in the interest of the nation.” 

Younten Tshedup | Trashigang