Politics: The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) North Thimphu candidate for the by-election has decided to withdraw his candidature, just days after 30-year-old Chencho Nidup from Kawang gewog was revealed to the media in a press conference.

He is expected to submit his withdrawal letter to the party today.

This has come as a blow to the opposition party, which while revealing the candidate, had claimed that it was confident to win the by-election. The constituency fell vacant after former MP Kinga Tshering  resigned to pursue further studies abroad.

“My mother is a religious person, and she is against my involvement in politics,” he said. Chencho Nidup added that he has verbally informed that party about his decision to withdraw his candidature.

“I will put up my resignation tomorrow,” he said yesterday. Chencho Nidup added that he had earlier informed the party that he would resign at anytime if he encountered any problem.

DPT’s general secretary Ugyen Dorji said the party was unaware of the reason for his decision to withdraw. “We can’t do anything if he has decided to resign,” he said.

Ugyen Dorji added that the candidate had said that he did not have his original degree certificate. However, it is not known if this was the reason for the withdrawal.

Chencho Nidup is a graduate from Jodhpur University with a degree in Bachelor of Business Administration. He has been running his parents’ business, Druk Events.

The DPT will now look for another candidate. Earlier, the party had said that although there were people interested to contest, the party had to choose Chencho Nidup given the current situation.

The election process for the by-elections in the North Thimphu constituency will begin in early October 2016, according to the Election Commission of Bhutan (ECB).

The constituency covers Kawang, Lingzhi, Naro and Soe gewogs.

The ECB has stated that the election schedule will be guided by the legal provisions and the necessity to ensure that the by-election will not overlap with the on-going local government elections in the four gewogs. At the same time, the ECB will ensure that it is possible for the constituency’s MP to attend the upcoming winter session of Parliament.

MB Subba

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