Nima Wangdi

The two National Council (NC) candidates from Trongsa didn’t have a common pledge. Having been teachers themselves, the candidates did not have any pledges on education.

Rinzin Namgyal, 45, from Langthil Gewog, said he would focus on self-sufficiency. He said that only 15 percent of the total land area of the country is arable of which only 7.2 percent is cultivated.

“There is a need to increase the cultivated land area by enacting enabling laws and policies. That is where I will focus on,” he said.

He also said that he would focus on developing relevant and required skills and among the youth to address the youth unemployment problem in the country.




Youth unemployment, he said, increased over the years solely because the youth are not equipped with the skills and qualifications that the employers require. “There is a need for strong legislation for preservation of culture.”

He said that he would consult with the people and include their views on the developments of the gewogs and the dzongkhag.

Sonam Penjor, 39, from Nubi, pledged to emphasise on balanced socioeconomic development. “If elected, I will listen to the people and inform the government accordingly so that the development is based on the needs of the communities.”

He said that he would take the issues up with the agencies concerned and try to solve the problems immediately. 

Rinzin Namgyal is the lone candidate from Langthil gewog and he was nominated at the dhamngoi zomdu on March 3 with 325 “Yes” and 47 “No” votes.




Rinzin Namgyal was the principal of Babesa Higher Secondary School in Thimphu. He has more than 20 years of work experience in education.

Sonam Penjor has worked as a teacher for 13 years and was running a business when he decided to contest in the NC elections.

He has M.Sc in Mathematics from Berhampur University in Odisha, India.