Sikkim Assembly Polls: Former Indian football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia lost the assembly polls even this time. He was trailing Rikshal Dorjee Bhutia of the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and lost to him in the Barfung assembly seat after the third and final round of counting.
Overall figures did not project a positive picture for Bhutia and his Sikkim Democratic Front party. The incumbent SKM is set for a massive victory in the northeastern state over the SDF, winning 31 out of 32 seats. SKM candidate bagged 8,358 votes while Bhutia got 4,012 votes.
The Sikkim assembly elections 2024 were held in a single phase on April 19.
Bhutia formed his own Hamro Sikkim Party in 2018. The former India football team captain merged his party with the SDF last year. He is currently the vice president of the SDF. If the trend continues, Bhutia will be conceding his sixth poll defeat in 10 years.
The former Indian footballer had fought elections twice from West Bengal as a Trinamool candidate: the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Darjeeling and the 2016 assembly elections from Siliguri. He faced defeat on both occasions.
Later, he moved his electoral base to Sikkim and formed his party. He fought the 2019 assembly polls from Gangtok and Tumen-Lingi, but his fortunes did not change as he again tasted defeat in both his attempts. He also lost the 2019 bypoll in Gangtok.
The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) on Sunday returned to power by sweeping the assembly polls in the Himalayan state, winning 31 of the 32 seats, according to the Election Commission. The opposition Sikkim Democratic Front could manage only one seat. Elections to the Sikkim Assembly were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls on April 19.
Sikkim BJP president Dilli Ram Thapa, a sitting MLA, also lost to SKM nominee Kala Rai in the Upper Burtuk constituency by a margin of 2,968 votes.