Wangdue choose Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday at the primary rounds of the national assembly elections.

While DNT secured the maximum number of votes from Nyisho-Saephu constituency, PDP secured the highest from Athang-Thedtsho constituency.

Wangdue has 20,084 registered voters. The dzongkhag’s voter turn out was 73.5 percent with 14,764 people casting their votes through postal ballots and electronic voting machines (EVM).

Provisional results show that of the total, DNT secured 5,164 votes. While PDP won 4,866 votes, Druk Phuensum Tshogpa won 3,021 votes. Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party won 1,713 votes.

Of those who cast their votes, about 35 percent voted for DNT and PDP won about 33 percent.

Nyisho-Saephu constituency has 10,166 registered voters including postal voters. Here, DNT secured the highest number of votes on both EVM and postal ballot.

Athang-Thedtsho has 9,918 registered voters. Here, PDP secured the highest number of votes at 2,336 votes followed by DNT at 2,131 votes. From the EVM, DNT got the third highest vote after PDP, and DPT. However, by securing the maximum number of votes from postal ballot voters, DNT won the second highest votes from the constituency.

Wangdue set up 48 polling stations for the polls yesterday.

The polling station at Bajo Higher Secondary School had 1,242 registered voters, the highest among the polling stations. Although voters had rushed to the station in the morning, the station remained almost empty after noon.

However, the polling station at Tshogongm gewog centre saw voters until almost 5pm. The station has the second highest number of registered voters.

Election officials said that apart from a few voters who came to the station despite being registered as postal voters, the voting process was smooth. The election office also printed over 100 new VPIC cards for the voters. Election official said that most voters were from afar who came from other dzongkhags to cast their votes.

Phurpa Lhamo | Punakha