Gangtok, Indian football icon Bhaichung Bhutia on Tuesday announced that he was quitting politics, following his defeat in the recently held assembly elections in Sikkim.
Bhaichung, vice-president of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), lost to SKM's Rikshal Dorjee Bhutia from the Barfung seat, marking his sixth electoral defeat.
He joined politics in 2014, when the ruling TMC in West Bengal named him its candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. In 2018, he took the leap into the state's political arena by forming the Hamro Sikkim Party. Last year, he merged his party with the Pawan Chamling-led SDF.
"First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr PS Tamang and the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) for winning the assembly elections. The people of Sikkim have given them a resounding mandate and I hope that the SKM government works to fulfill its promises and take Sikkim to greater heights in all sectors," he said in a statement.
"After the 2024 election results, I realized that electoral politics is simply not for me. Therefore, I am abandoning all forms of electoral politics with immediate effect," he added.
After losing the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency to the BJP in 2014, the TMC fielded Bhutia as its candidate for the 2016 West Bengal assembly elections from the Siliguri seat, but he lost to the CPI(M). Following the formation of his party in 2018, he contested the 2019 Sikkim assembly elections from two seats, but lost in both. He again unsuccessfully contested the by-election to the Gangtok assembly seat, which was held later that year.
He lost the recent SKM elections by 4,346 votes.
Bhutia, former Indian football captain, said he felt he had big ideas for the development of sports and tourism in Sikkim.
"...if I had the opportunity, I would have loved to implement and contribute to the growth of the state in a very honest and sincere way," he said.
"Unfortunately it didn't happen that way. I'm sure there will be more people with better ideas to do it," he said.
Bhutia said his intention in politics was to do good to the people of the state and the country.
Bhaichung, vice-president of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), lost to SKM's Rikshal Dorjee Bhutia from the Barfung seat, marking his sixth electoral defeat.
He joined politics in 2014, when the ruling TMC in West Bengal named him its candidate for the Darjeeling Lok Sabha seat. In 2018, he took the leap into the state's political arena by forming the Hamro Sikkim Party. Last year, he merged his party with the Pawan Chamling-led SDF.
"First of all, I would like to congratulate Mr PS Tamang and the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) for winning the assembly elections. The people of Sikkim have given them a resounding mandate and I hope that the SKM government works to fulfill its promises and take Sikkim to greater heights in all sectors," he said in a statement.
"After the 2024 election results, I realized that electoral politics is simply not for me. Therefore, I am abandoning all forms of electoral politics with immediate effect," he added.
After losing the Darjeeling Lok Sabha constituency to the BJP in 2014, the TMC fielded Bhutia as its candidate for the 2016 West Bengal assembly elections from the Siliguri seat, but he lost to the CPI(M). Following the formation of his party in 2018, he contested the 2019 Sikkim assembly elections from two seats, but lost in both. He again unsuccessfully contested the by-election to the Gangtok assembly seat, which was held later that year.
He lost the recent SKM elections by 4,346 votes.
Bhutia, former Indian football captain, said he felt he had big ideas for the development of sports and tourism in Sikkim.
"...if I had the opportunity, I would have loved to implement and contribute to the growth of the state in a very honest and sincere way," he said.
"Unfortunately it didn't happen that way. I'm sure there will be more people with better ideas to do it," he said.
Bhutia said his intention in politics was to do good to the people of the state and the country.
