Rajesh Rai | Phuentsholing

Although Chapcha’s gup election has been postponed to January 6, 2022, people from 10 of the 11 gewogs in Chukha elected their local leaders on December 22.

Seven former gups contested from 10 gewogs. However, the former Sampheling gup didn’t qualify through the dhamngoi zomdu. Only three former gups were re-elected.

Pending Chapcha’s election, Chukha has at least seven new gups.

Old gups

Phuentsholing, Getena, and Metekha are the three gewogs that opted for former gups.

In Phuentsholing, former gup Birkha Bahadur Rai won with 1,049 total votes. There were three other contestants from the gewog.

Birkha secured 723 Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes, 147 Postal Ballot Facilitation Booth (PBFB), 126 votes from Mobile Voting Booth (MVB), and 53 postal ballots (PB).

Getena elected Kinley of Darga-Tshebji chiwog. He secured 445 total votes against his lone competitor, Tshethrum Dhendup, who got 367 votes.

It was the PBFB that pushed his chances with 180 total votes against Tshethrum’s 74. Tshethrum had won EVM votes with 242 against Kinley’s 227.

This will be the second term for Pasang Tshering of Metekha. He had only one competitor, Pasang. Pasang Tshering beat Pasang in all voting categories and secured a total of 281 votes. His contender received 120 total votes.

New gups

Bjagchhog had four gup contestants. However, with the former gup opting not to participate this time, the competition was a tough one.

The gup-elect Tashi got 284 total votes, winning in EVM and PBFB. Competitor Tashi Wangdi got 279.

From Bongo, Tshering Penjor got 1,367 total votes to win the gup post. His two competitors, Sonam Dema and Kado, secured 983 and 690 votes respectively.

The former gup, who also served as the Chukha dzongkhag tshogdu chairman, did not contest.

Darla Gewog, which has the highest number of voters, voted for Rinchen Dorji with 2,775 total votes against the other contestant, Jhulendra Sharma, who got 1,257 votes. The former Darla gup didn’t contest this time.

In Dungna, former gup Pasang lost to the new candidate Lobzang. Lobzang managed 415 votes. The gewog had only two gup contestants.

Geling Gewog also chose a new gup, Kinlay Dorji, who secured a total of 596 votes. Former gup Phub Dorji got only 192 votes.




Lokchina had three gup contestants, including the former gup. However, Tham Bahadur Rai got 762 votes to defeat other contenders. Former gup, Indra Lal Ghalley, secured 354 votes. Passang Dorji secured 379 total votes.

With Sampheling’s former gup out at the dhamngoi zomdu stage, the gewog had just three contestants. Ram Kumar Rai won with 935 votes. Akash Rai and Doley got 413 and 312 respectively.

In Chukha, 47,672 people cast their votes this time. A total of 32,056 voted in EVMs on December 22.