With the party winning two of the five constituencies in Trashigang on October 18, Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa’s (DNT) call for change worked to an extent in the dzongkhag.

Although the party lost in the remaining three constituencies, the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes for the general election show a significant inclination towards the party.

Of the 75 polling stations in the dzongkhag, DNT took the lead in 41 stations compared to 26 stations during the primary round.

Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) on the other hand won in 38 stations during the primary elections, a decrease of four stations during the general round.

DNT won in seven polling stations where DPT had previously won during the primary rounds. The party also won in 12 and three stations where People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party (BKP) had earlier won respectively.

Kanglung-Samkhar-Udzorong and Thrimshing constituencies saw the major changes in the EVM votes during the general elections.

In Kanglung-Samkhar-Udzorong, besides holding on to its five winning stations, DNT’s Tenzin Namgyel took the lead in four stations where DPT had earlier won and another four stations where PDP had won during the primary round.

After leading in the EVM votes (2,118), Tenzin Namgyel lost by 28 votes on the postal ballot to DPT’s Samdrup R Wangchuk.

After winning in a single polling station during the primary round, DNT’s Ugyen Dorji won in six of the 10 stations in Thrimshing during the general election. The party held on to its lone winning station at Thrimshing gewog centre and also took the lead in other five stations where PDP had earlier won.

DPT held on to its four winning stations in Thrimshing and in Kanglung-Samkhar-Udzorong, the party kept its lead in six of the 18 stations during the general election.

Ugyen Dorji won in both the EVM votes and postal ballots in Thrimshing.

However, EVM voters of Bartsham-Shongphu constituency did not deviate much.

Although DNT’s Tenzin Lekphell won from Bidung gewog centre station where DPT had earlier won, DPT’s Passang Dorji managed to retain the 11 winning polling stations by winning in Duroong station, which was earlier won by DNT.

Tenzin Lekphell also took the lead in Dzong Thong ORC station, which was earlier PDP stronghold. However, with 4,099 total votes, Passang Dorji won in both the EVM votes and postal ballots.

In Radhi-Sakteng constituency, DNT won in 10 of the 16 polling stations, an increase of four stations from the primary round. DNT’s Dorji Tshering took the lead in Thongrong and Yabrang stations where DPT’s Tashi Dorji had won earlier.

Although Dorji Tshering was trailing by 430 ballots, he made up on the EVM to win the constituency.

In Wamrong DNT’s Jigme Wangdi managed to win in two additional stations from the primary round. He won in Barshong ORC and Kholdung ORC stations, which were earlier won by BKP and PDP respectively. He won in five of the 12 polling stations in the constituency.

However, DPT’s Karma Thinley held his lead in the six stations where he had won earlier and also took the lead at Tshogoenpa station where PDP had won during the primary round.

Jigme Wangdi managed to almost double his EVM votes this time but was short of five votes to equal Karma Thinley.

Karma Thinley won in both the EVM and postal ballots.

Younten Tshedup | Trashigang

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