Dechen Dolkar 

Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa’s (DNT) Karma Gyeltshen won the Khamdang-Ramjar bye-election with 3,152 votes.

Of the 20 polling stations in the constituency, he won in 15 polling stations.

DPT candidate won in Shakshing, Tshankharla, Khamdang PS, Yalang PS and Bawong polling stations.

Karma Gyeltshen also secured the highest votes in all the EVM, postal ballots, the mobile voting booth and overseas against Druk Phuensum Tshogpa’s (DPT) Jigme Tashi.

According to the provisional results, Karma Gyeltshen secured 52.82 percent of the total vote cast.

He secured 1,460 votes on EVM, 1,632 postal ballots, 50 mobile voting ballot, and 10 overseas votes while Jigme Tashi secured 914 votes on EVM, 1,149 postal ballots, 40 mobile voting ballots and six votes from overseas.




Karma Gyeltshen said that going by the trend of the past three bye-elections, he was confident that he would win the bye-election. “I knew that people will support for the ruling government candidate.”

He also said that people are now mature and know whom to choose as candidate and who would benefit them. “I will now push the government to fulfil my pledges. All my pledges are doable.”

His pledges are constructions of farm roads, base coursing and blacktopping of the farm roads.

Karma Gyeltshen said people feel that it is not feasible and possible to construct a farm road from Thragom gewog centre via Bumchang and Rolam to Melongkhar BHU, but he would discuss with relevant agencies and construct the road.




He also contested during the 2018 parliamentary elections. He lost to former MP Kuenga Loday by 781 votes.

Prior to the bye-election, he was working as a private consultant for exporting boulders.

DPT candidate Jigme Tashi thanked voters for supporting him. “Although I am not elected, I feel that I have been elected because I got the opportunity to interact with people and learn more in the constituency.”




He said many people think that the ruling government will benefit them.

Meanwhile, the voter turnout for the bye-election is 52.21 percent. Of the 10,075 registered voters, 5,261 voters cast the votes.