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Baichung Bhutia: Baichung Bhutia, the veteran footballer of the Indian team and who tried to establish himself in Sikkim politics, has finally announced his retirement from electoral politics. Making a big announcement, Baichung said, “I have realized that I was not born for politics and after the results of the 2024 elections, I am finally leaving politics.”
Also lost in 2024 Sikkim Assembly elections
Veteran footballer Baichung Bhutia issued a statement saying that he is leaving politics with immediate effect. I have tasted defeat for the sixth time in 10 years in the Sikkim assembly elections.
In the recent assembly elections, he contested from the Barfung assembly seat from the Sikkim Democratic Party. He was defeated by Sikkim Krantikari Morcha candidate Riksal Dorjee Bhutia. Baichung lost this election too by a margin of 4300 votes. The opposing candidate got almost double his number i.e. 8300 votes.
Contested election on TMC ticket and lost!
Baichung Bhutia formed his own Hamro Sikkim Party in 2018 but merged the party with the SDF in 2023. Bhutia, a former captain of the Indian football team, contested elections twice on a TMC ticket but was unsuccessful. The Trinamool Congress fielded him from Darjeeling in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and from Siliguri in the 2016 assembly elections.
SDF reduced to one seat in 2024
Bhutia contested the assembly elections from Gangtok and Tumen-Lingi in Sikkim in 2019 but was again disappointed. After this, he also lost the 2019 by-election from Gangtok. The situation is that in the recent assembly elections, the Sikkim Democratic Front managed to win only one seat, while the SKM won 31 out of 32 seats.
What did Baichung Bhutia say?
Baichung Bhutia said in his statement, “My only regret is that I thought I had good ideas about the development of sports and tourism, which I wanted to implement if I had the chance. But unfortunately it did not happen. I am sure I will do it.” So there will be others with better ideas.
