North goes 2:1 in SDF’s favour WANGCHUK BHUTIA

MANGAN, 16 May: North Sikkim missed joining South and West districts in posting a clean sweep for SDF by a mere 126 votes. Of the three constituencies in North district, SDF won comfortably in two and lost one by 126 votes.

Counting in North Sikkim started with Kabi-Lungchuk from where SDF’s four-term Minister TT Bhutia was taking on SKM’s Ugen Nedup Bhutia. This was always expected to a close contest and the candidates won a round each during counting. In the end though, the SKM candidate won by polling 4,615 of the 8,879 votes cast. Mr. TT Bhutia lost by 126 votes, polling 4,489 votes. Interestingly, the NOTA votes at 152 were more than the victory margin.

The remaining two constituencies of North Sikkim however went convincingly into the SDF kitty with Dzongu getting counted next. Sitting Power Minister Sonam Gyatso Lepcha won convincingly here, polling 4,618 votes against the 2,443 received by SKM’s Dawa Tshering Lepcha.

While Dzongu had been projected as an expected win for SDF, Lachen-Mangan was being seen as too close to call. Sitting MLA, SDF’s Tshering Wangdi Lepcha was going up against SKM’s Samdup Lepcha, who, till the declaration of tickets was an SDF supporter. Here, Mr. Samdup Lepcha led the first round of counting, but then the pattern shifted in SDF’s favour and on final count, Mr. TW Lepcha polled 3,127 votes to post a comfortable win against SKM’s 2,570 votes.