Thinley Namgay     

The lone female candidate of the 35 gup candidates in Punakha could not make it through the election.

Of the 11 gewogs in the dzongkhag, all 10 gup-elects are male. The gup election of Guma gewog has been halted due to the audit clearance issue. Three male candidates are contesting.

As for mangmi, 10 are male and one is female.

Kinley Zangmo is the only woman mangmi-elect. She won in Talo gewog. She is one of the six women mangmi candidates out of 43 mangmi candidates.

In the 55 chiwogs, there were 124 tshogpa candidates, out of which 33 were women. However, only 10 women were elected.

Meanwhile, Choki and Tshering Zangmo of Draagchhukha chiwog of Goenshari gewog got equal votes of 27 each.

According to ECB officials, candidates with equal votes have to undergo re-election. The ECB will reportedly discuss it with dzongkhag officials.




The Changyul-Loongsilgang-Tashijong tshogpa election has been delayed due to the audit clearance issue. In this chiwog, both the candidates are women.

Securing 697 votes, Dawa Tashi was elected as the gup of Dzomi gewog. The other candidates, Namgay Wangchuk and Tshechu, secured 377 and 197 votes.

He worked as gewog drungyi for five years and mangmi for five years. “I realised that I have done a good job for gewog during the tenure as drungyi and mangmi.  I will work hard and meet the expectations of the people,” he said.

Dawa Gyeltshen was elected as the mangmi of the gewog with 388 votes.  The other candidates, Sonam Pema, secured 346, Nim Tshering secured 215, and Dorji Om secured 321.

There were 11 tshogpa candidates under Dzomi gewog.

In Chhubu gewog, Jimba Gyeltshen secured 706 votes and was elected as gup.

Out of the four mangmi candidates, Dorji Khandu secured the highest votes of 373 and was elected.




In Shelnga-Bjemi gewog, former gup Samten Phuntsho was elected as gup. He secured 530 votes. The other candidates, Kencho Tshering secured 346 and Namgyel secured 192 votes.

Shelnga-Bjemi mangmi s Pempa. He got 569 votes.

In Toedwang gewog, Ugyen Karma was elected as gup with 630 votes. The other candidates, Naphel, Kinley Penjor, and Tashi Dorji secured 333, 262, and 105 votes respectively.

Leki Dorji was elected as mangmi.

Gup-elect Ugyen Karma, 37, said this is the second time he contested. “I lost in 2016, but served as a desuup. I have a bigger role to play hereafter for society. I hope that the people are happy knowing that I might bring change.”

In Tamigdamchhu-Thangbji chiwog, both candidates, Ugyen and Chencho got 163 votes each. ECB will conduct a re-election.

Kabisa gewog elected Sonam Dorji as their gup with 791 votes. Phub Gyeltshen is the new mangmi.

The mangmi of Guma gewog is Kencho Wangdi. He secured 419 votes.




Wangchuk is the gup of Goenshari gewog. He got 259 votes. The mangmi-elect is Phub Tshering. He got 148 votes.

Talog gewog’s gup is Rinzin Wangchuk. He secured 610 votes. Kinley Zangmo was elected as mangmi. She secured 593 votes.

Toedpaisa gewog gup is Tshering Penjor. He secured 557 votes. The mangmi-elect is Kinley Gyeltshen with 448 votes.

In Barp gewog, the gup-elect is Pasang Dorji. He secured 575 votes. Chechey is the mangmi-elect. He secured 405 votes.

In Lingmukha gewog, the gup-elect is Sonam Tobgay. He secured 464 votes. The mangmi-elect is Kinley Wangdi. He secured 422 votes.

Meanwhile, the lone candidate Namgay Tshering was elected as thromde ngotshab.