Bhaichung Bhutia's Sikkim Democratic Front party was reduced to just one seat.
Bhaichung Bhutia, the former captain of the Indian football team, tasted defeated in electoral politics yet another time. He lost to Rikshal Dorjee Bhutia of the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha by a margin of 4,346 votes in the Barfung seat, official data showed on Sunday.
Mr Bhutia's Sikkim Democratic Front party was reduced to just one seat with the incumbent SKM winning 31 out of the 32 seats, as per the election trends.
The Sikkim assembly elections 2024 were held in a single phase on April 19. Though all leads are in, the results are yet to be officially declared.
Mr Bhutia had formed his own Hamro Sikkim Party in 2018, but merged it with the SDF last year. He is currently the vice-president of the SDF, the main opposition party in the Himalayan state known for its picturesque lakes.
The former footballer had fought elections twice from West Bengal as a Trinamool candidate - the 2014 Lok Sabha polls from Darjeeling and the 2016 assembly elections from Siliguri. He lost both.
Then he moved his electoral base to Sikkim and formed his own party. He fought the 2019 assembly elections from Gangtok and Tumen-Lingi, but tasted defeated in both his attempts. He also lost the 2019 bypoll from Gangtok.