Pro-India Tshering Tobgay set to be Bhutan's PM for 2nd time
Tshering Tobgay's party, the People's Democratic Party (PDP), on Tuesday scored a resounding victory in Bhutan's parliamentary elections.
The party clinched almost a two-thirds majority, winning 30 seats of the 47 national assembly seats to return to power. The Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) navigated its way through the competitive landscape, securing 17 seats.
Tobgay, 58, will become Bhutan's PM for the second time. He was leader of the opposition in Bhutan's first parliament when it was established in 2008 after the start of the reign of the present king. He served as prime minister from 2013 to 2018 and shares a strong chemistry with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Tobgay's victory is a shot in the arm for India as it comes just two days after Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League won parliamentary polls for the fourth straight term in Bangladesh. Following her victory, Hasina heaped praises on Bangladesh's ties with India since 1971. Tobgay, a former civil servant and a conservation advocate, holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a masters in public administration from Harvard University.
Hours after the victory, PM Modi sent out his congratulatory message to him. «Heartiest congratulations to my friend @tsheringtobgay and the People's Democratic Party for winning the parliamentary elections in Bhutan. Look forward to working together again to further strengthen our unique ties of friendship and cooperation,» Modi wrote on X.
Last month during the first round of polls, PDP's stupendous performance surprised even its supporters in the Himalayan state. The party secured victories in constituencies that historically favoured
