Gangtok: 78% voter turnout was recorded in the by-elections for Linkey Ward in Pakyong district, Sikkim on April 20.
Out of the 462 eligible voters in the ward, 95% belong to the Bhutia Lepcha (BL) community, while the remaining 5% are from the OBC category.
Two candidates, Hari Maya Sharma and Rupa Devi Chettri, contested in the by-election.
Hari Maya Sharma, who has served as a panchayat for two terms and previously supported the public demand for reservation in the November elections, won the by-election.
Rupa Devi Chettri, who comes from a poor family and contested for the first time, expressed satisfaction at getting the opportunity to contest but noted that the public is not satisfied with the reservation decision.
The reservation issue has led to controversy and boycotts in the past, with the public expressing concerns over the reservation of the Bhutia Lepcha seat being replaced with OBC reservation.
State Election Commissioner KC Lepcha visited the polling station in Linkey and expressed happiness at the voter turnout, which was 307 out of 462 eligible voters as of mid-afternoon.
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Gangtokian Web Team, 21/04/23