Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) maintained its strong hold in Pemagatshel by winning with a landslide in all three constituencies consistently yesterday.

DPT won the maximum votes from both postal ballots and electronic voting machine (EVM) while Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa (DNT) secured the second highest votes both in postal ballots and EVM.

In Khar-Yurung constituency, DPT bagged 4,054 votes followed by DNT winning 1,487 votes. People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won 411 votes while Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party saw 393 votes.

DPT won 2,620 postal ballots and 1,434 EVM votes in Khar-Yurung constituency while BKP won 207 postal ballots and 186 EVM votes. DNT secured 962 postal ballots and 525 EVM votes while PDP won 238 postal ballots and 173 EVM votes.

In Nanong-Shumar constituency, DPT won 3,516 votes, 1,888 from postal ballots and 1,628 from EVM while DNT won 1,513 votes, 837 postal ballots and 676 EVM votes. PDP secured 845 votes, 285 postal ballots and 560 EVM votes and BKP won 482 votes from 261 postal ballots and 221 from EVM.

DPT won 1,433 postal ballot votes and 1,679 EVM votes from Nganglam constituency in Nganglam drungkhag. DNT secured 655 ballots and 695 EVM votes, PDP 219 postal ballots and 297 EVM votes and BKP 121 postal ballots and 102 EVM votes.

While opening envelope B, the office of the returning officer (RO) of Nganglam constituency rejected six ballots from postal ballot facilitation booths and one conventional ballot.

Sangay Namgyel, 95, was the first voter at Gashari PS in Norbugang, Nganglam yesterday. However, the officials sent him back because he had difficulty identifying the party logos despite officials explaining him the party logos several times.

But he did manage to vote around 11:30am with the help of his grandson Dechen Dorji after officials let him assist and accompany the 95-year-old. Sangay Namgyel went home a pleased man.

“I don’t know how long will I live but as long as I live, I don’t want to miss the opportunity which comes once after five years,” he said. “I voted in 2008 and have never missed since.”

Sangay Namgyel’s grandson, Dechen Dorji, said he had explained the logos of all parties to his grandfather but he could not remember because of his age. “I am happy that my grandfather cast his vote later,” he said.

Of the 26,141 eligible voters registered in the dzongkhag, 17,902 voted yesterday giving a voter turnout of about 68.48 percent.

Kelzang Wangchuk | Nganglam 

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