69.4 per cent voter turnout in Sikkim bypoll

The by-election to the Upper Burtuk Assembly constituency in Sikkim ended peacefully today with 69.4 per cent voter turnout, Election Commission officials said.
The bypoll was the first election in the state, which was conducted using VVPAT (Voters Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) with the EVMs.
The bypoll was necessitated following the disqualification of sitting MLA Prem Singh Tamang (Goley), who was accused of misappropriation of funds during his tenure as the state Animal Husbandry department minister in 1996-97.
A case against Tamang, a Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party leader, was lodged by the state vigilance department and a court convicted him on December 28, 2016.

The BJP has fielded Suresh Khanal Sharma, while Sumitra Rai contested on a Congress ticket and Dilli Ram Thapa of the Sikkim Democratic Front is in the fray in the bypolls.
Counting of votes will done of April 15, EC officials said.