BORDERS TO BE SEALED FOR OCTOBER 18 VOTE... Travel rejig over Bhutan polls

TT, Siliguri: Come October 18, there will be celebrations both in India and Bhutan. In India, it will be Durga Puja and Dussehra. In Bhutan, its people will vote that day for the National Assembly -- the third time after 2008 and 2013 -- to elect 47 lawmakers.

"Elections had been an old affair in our country but now that it has started in Bhutan since 2008, it has started attention of Indians residing near the border," said Suresh Thakuri, associated with travel trade in Jaigaon, the border town in Alipurduar district.

On the other side is Phuentsholing, the most common transit point to the country by land.

In Bhutan, election for the National Assembly is being held in two rounds.

File picture of the Bhutan gate in Phuentsholing In the primary round that was held on September 15, four parties had contested. The Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), that was in power since 2013, finished third and the Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party fourth.

"It would be interesting to see whether DPT manages to move ahead or DNT manages to retain its support," said Rajesh Agarwal, a trader in Jaigaon.

As the neighbouring country gears up for the elections, Thakuri and others associated with tourism have taken the task to plan itineraries for tourists who intend to visit Bhutan during the Durga Puja and Diwali.

This is because Royal Bhutan Police have issued a notification saying security checks would start from October 13. Also, all international borderswould be sealed. There will no movement from October 17 evening to October 18 evening.

"This is why we have to arrange itineraries of tourists accordingly so that they do not face any inconvenience," said Tanmoy Goswami, who runs a travel house in Siliguri.