Gangtok: Srijana Chettri of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been declared elected as councillor for Ward No. 10, Diesel Power House (unreserved), under the Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC), after securing 899 votes in the lone contested ward of the municipal elections.
The counting of votes was conducted at the District Administrative Centre, Gangtok, in the presence of Municipal Returning Officer-cum-District Collector Tushar Nikhare, who formally announced the result upon completion of the process.
According to the final result sheet issued under Form 45, Chettri secured 277 votes in Polling Station 1, 172 votes in Polling Station 2, 445 votes in Polling Station 3, and 5 votes through postal ballots, taking her total tally to 899 votes. Her nearest rival, independent candidate Bindhya Cintury, secured 384 votes.
A total of 1,327 votes were cast out of 2,862 electors in the ward, of which 1,283 were valid votes. A total of 42 voters opted for NOTA, while 2 postal ballot votes were rejected and no tendered votes were recorded.
As per the electoral roll data, the ward has 1,319 registered voters considered for polling percentage calculation, including 646 female voters and 673 male voters, with a voter turnout recorded at 46.09 per cent.
The District Collector stated that the counting held today was only for Ward No. 10, as most wards in the municipal elections were uncontested and their results had been declared earlier.
Of the 21 wards under the GMC, 19 were won by the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, one by the BJP, while one ward—Pani House—remains unresolved and may go for a by-election. In the Rangpo Nagar Panchayat, the SKM secured four out of five wards, while the BJP won one ward.
Nikhare informed that the swearing-in ceremony for the Gangtok Municipal Corporation and Singtam Nagar Panchayat is scheduled to be held on May 2.
Nikhare stated, “The elections were conducted peacefully, with no reports of law and order disturbances or violations of the Model Code of Conduct.” He thanked the candidates, officials, the public, and the State Election Commission for ensuring the smooth conduct of the polls. He added that the Model Code of Conduct remains in force in the GMC area for a few more days and is expected to be lifted soon following notification.
Winning candidate Srijana Chettri expressed gratitude and confidence, stating, “There is an alliance between the SKM and BJP, and I am contesting as a candidate backed by this arrangement. I thank the people of the Diesel Power House ward for their trust and I am 100 per cent confident of winning the election.”
She further stated, “The support extended by Bindhya Cintury is significant. She is like a sister who has worked well as councillor in the ward, and such support will help ensure coordinated development efforts.”
Chettri also thanked voters for their support during her door-to-door canvassing and said that, as part of the National Democratic Alliance, the alliance will help improve coordination between the Centre and the State for the implementation of schemes.
Outlining her priorities, Srijana said that health services will be her primary focus, followed by the development of RCC footpaths, beautification works, and proper management of jhoras (streams) in the ward, adding that these works will be taken up on priority after assuming office.
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