LG: A total of 14 local government (LG) posts remain vacant in the three dzongkhags of Sarpang, Dagana and Tsirang.

Dagana has the highest number of vacant posts for tshogpa with five. Results of two tshogpas, the Dagana thromde ngotasab and Dorona gewog’s mangmi also resulted in ties.

The tshogpa posts that could not be filled in Dagana are Tsangkha gewog’s Goongphu-Soomchu chiwog, Nichula gewog’s Dramze-Kesa chiwog, Karmaling gewog’s Laptsakha chiwog, Lhamoi dzingkha gewog’s Loongsilsa and Chongsamling chiwogs. There were no candidates from these five chiwogs.

Results of Thonmgang chiwog in Khebisa gewog ended in a draw. Of the three candidates, two secured 57 votes each.  The third candidate secured 36 votes. In Gesarling’s Tashithang chiwog too the result ended in a draw. The candidates secured 131 votes each.

The two candidates for Dagana’s thromde ngotshab secured 18 votes each.

Dorona gewog had two candidates contesting for the post of mangmi and both of them secured 242 votes each. Som Bahadur Rai secured 222 votes from EVM and 20 postal votes. Kamala Dhoj Rai secured 218 EVM votes and 24 postal votes.

Sarpang has one vacant post for tshogpa in Woongchhiloo chiwog, Tareythang gewog. Having secured 126 votes each, the result of the two tshogpa candidates, Damber Singh Dahal and Man Bahadur Karki, ended in a tie.

In Tsirang’s Gosarling gewog, two chiwogs of Pelrithang and Dzamling Zor, did not have tshogpa candidates and the posts remain vacant. On the other hand, Dangreythang chiwog’s tshogpa result also ended in a tie. The chiwog had three candidates, of which Bal Bir Rai and Ganesh Kumar Jogi secured equal votes of 99 each. The third candidate secured 44 votes.

Dzongkhag electoral officers said re-election will be conducted to fill the vacant posts as well as for the results that ended in ties. Dates of the re-election are yet to be decided.

“We’ll wait for directives from the Election Commission of Bhutan,” an official said.

Nirmala Pokhrel | Tsirang