Bhaichung Bhutia, the Indian football legend, has quit electoral politics, he announced today. Mr Bhutia said he is quitting politics after the 2024 election results in Sikkim and added that "electoral politics is simply" not for him.
"After the 2024 election results, I have had the realisation that electoral politics is simply not for me. I am therefore quitting all forms of electoral politics with immediate effect," he said in a statement.
In the recently concluded Sikkim Assembly Elections, Mr Bhutia was defeated in electoral politics for the sixth time in 10 years. 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.
The former Hamro Sikkim Party president had merged his party with the Sikkim Democratic Front and contested from Barfung on an SDF ticket, earlier this year.
The Sikkim Democratic Front party was reduced to just one seat with the incumbent SKM winning 31 out of the 32 seats.
Mr Bhutia said, "My only regret is that I felt I had great ideas with regard to the development of sports and tourism which given a chance, I would have loved to implement and thus contribute to the growth of the state in a very honest and sincere way. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I am certain there will be more people with better ideas to do so".
Mr Bhutia congratulated Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party and Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay for winning the 2024 Sikkim Assembly Election.
"The people of Sikkim have given them a resounding mandate and I hope the SKM govt will work to fulfill their promises and take Sikkim to greater heights across all sectors," he said.
Quoting Lord Buddha, "One's intentions must be good", Mr Bhutia said, "I can only say with utmost honesty and humility that my intention in politics was to do good, for the people of both state and country".
He thanked his supporters and said "As we say in football, please take it in the spirit of the game. I now wish to devote more time to introspect, work towards my other goals and discover my purpose anew."
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