While elections are sometimes determined by a thin margin, with winners edging over others by even one to two votes, the Fourth National Council elections of April 20, 2023, did not witness such neck to neck competitions. Almost all winners outdid their competitors with a comfortable margin.
The lowest margin was between Lhuentse’s candidates. Kelzang Lhundup won by 86 votes from Tshering Penjor. Kelzang Lhundup secured 4,600 votes and 2,581 Postal Ballot (PB) votes. Tshering Penjor secured 2,055 PB votes and 2,459 through Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).
The second lowest margin was by 180 votes between Dorji Khandu and Tshering, candidates of Gasa. Tshering got elected with 986 votes while Dorji Khandu could secure only 806 votes. The incumbent member lost the election by 79 PB votes and 101 EVM votes.
In Trongsa Sonam Penjor lost by 212 votes to Rinzin Namgyal. Rinzin Namgyal secured 3,109 votes. The EVM votes between the two was 83. EVM vote of Rinzin Namgyal was 2,012 while Sonam Penjor secured 1,929 votes. Rinzin Namgyal secured 167 votes through PB which is higher by 79 votes to his opponent.
From the five candidates of Paro, Ugyen Tshering was re-elected and he secured a total of 3,457 votes. With 3,330 votes, the second highest was secured by Jigme. Jigme secured 2,804 votes through EVM defeating Ugyen Tshering by 123 votes. However, Jigme could secure only 526 PB votes while Ugyen Tshering secured 886 PB votes making a margin of 360 votes and difference of 86 votes in all.
The margin between the winning candidate of Punakha, Namgay Dorji and Lhaki Dolma was 473 votes. The votes they secured were 3,316 and 2,843 votes respectively. Lhaki Dolma won in PB securing 1,191 votes where Namgay Dorji could get only 876 PB votes. The difference was made by the EVM where Namgay Dorji secured 2,240 while Lhaki Dolma secured only 1,652 votes.
Similarly, margin between the Haa candidates was huge. Dago Tsheringla won by 589 votes from Ugyen Namgay, the incumbent member. Dago Tsheringla secured 2,690 votes. In PB, Ugyen Namgay secured 661 while Dago Tsheringla secured only 636 votes. Ugyen Namgay secured only 1,440 through EVM losing to the elected members by 614 votes.
With a difference of 7,374 votes, the highest margin was between the elected member of Trashigang, Sonam Tobgyel and Gongsar Karma Chhopel who secured second highest vote among the five candidates. Sonam Tobgyel secured 12,958 votes while Gongsar Karma Chhopel secured 5,584 votes.
The second highest margin was between the winning candidate of Sarpang, Pema Tashi and Kuenga. The vote differences between the two candidates was 2,390 where Pema Tashi secured 5,253 votes followed by Samtse.
The elected candidate of Samtse, Tashi Dendup secured a total of 5,202 votes where Kumar Ghalley lost the election by 1,959 votes who secured the second highest vote from the eight candidates.
Sangay Rabten from Thimphu
