Congress president Kharge congratulates Tshering Togbay on winning election in Bhutan

PTI, Jan 10, 2024, 8:15 AM IST

New Delhi: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday congratulated Bhutan’s People’s Democratic Party and its leader Tshering Tobgay for winning the country’s parliamentary elections and hoped that the “special bilateral friendship” between the people of India and Bhutan shall be further strengthened.

The People’s Democratic Party won the most seats in Bhutan’s parliamentary elections on Tuesday and will form the new government.

In a post on X, Kharge said, “On the behalf of Indian National Congress, I extend my heartiest congratulations to Bhutan’s People’s Democratic Party and their leader, H.E. Dasho Tshering Tobgay for winning the country’s Parliamentary Elections.” India and Bhutan share a unique and time-tested bilateral relationship, characterised by utmost trust, goodwill and mutual understanding, he said.

“The Indian National Congress is proud to have renewed the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 between the two countries under our government in 2007, which is the basis of this strong and robust relationship,” the Congress chief said.

“We are sure that this special bilateral friendship between the people of India and Bhutan shall be further strengthened in our shared future,” Kharge said.

Candidates on Tuesday’s ballot represented only the PDP of former prime minister Tshering Tobgay and the Bhutan Tendrel Party (BTP) led by former civil servant Pema Chewang.

A primary round of voting in November eliminated three other parties, including the ruling centre-left Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa Party.