Four gup elects await court verdict

While gup elects from various parts of the country received dhar from His Majesty yesterday,four gup elects of Samdrupjongkhar were deprived of the opportunity.This is because the Samdrupjongkhar drangpon had
sent summons to the gup elects, as there were cases filed against them in court andthe matter is under judicial
consideration.
The gup elect of Serthig, Dewathang, Lauri and Martsala had to return to Samdrupjongkhar to resolve the case.Dewathang gup elect,Sangay Pelzang, is alleged to have conducted campaigningin Bangtso Gonpa around11 pm, along with his friend, before the poll day. He was also accused of promising friends to favour them if hegets elected.
Lauri gup elect, Pema Dendup, was accused of giving Nu 500 to one of his opponents, Tandin. The other three gup candidates had filed the case, alleging that there was collusion between the two, which
led to Pema Dendup’s election. Pema Dendup had given in writing that the money was a consolation, but the other gup candidates questioned why he chose Tandin only, asthey also lost the election.

A gup candidate in Serthig gewog, Tashi Phuntsho, filed a case, saying that 11 voters approached him, saying that the photographs of gup candidates were not in the same sequence in the EVM as pasted outside the polling station.
“That has confused the voters, leading them to vote for the wrong candidates,”Tashi Phuntsho alleged. He
lost by 11 votes to the gup elect, Kencho Chophel.
The returning officer of the Jomotshangkha-Martshala said there are internal disputes regarding the Martsala
gup elect, but cannot be specific until the drangpon returns after his medical treatment.
The election of the four gup elects will not be considered legal until the court cases are solved.