Sikkim assembly polls: Counting of votes on Sunday

The counting of votes polled in the assembly election in Sikkim will be held on Sunday, officials said.

Election for the 32 seats in the state’s legislative assembly was held alongside the Lok Sabha polls on April 19 in the first phase. Sikkim has only one Lok Sabha constituency. The counting is scheduled to begin at 6am on June 2.

Counting of Lok Sabha votes would take place on June 4.

Sikkim witnessed primarily a bipolar contest between the ruling-Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and its principal opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) expected to put up a fight in around five seats. Also in the fray was the Citizen Action Party (CAP), which is gradually emerging as a force to be reckoned with.

While the SKM is trying to retain power for the second time in a row, the SDF, which was in power for 25 years till 2019, is now trying to bounce back.

SKM leaders including its president Prem Singh Tamang Golay have been claiming that the election is a cake walk for the party and the Sikkimese voters would give another five years’ tenure to the party.

Jacob Khaling Rai, the SKM spokesperson said: “We are confident to win more than 26 of 32 seats. Voters will not give another chance to the SDF, whose 25-year-long tenure in the state was marred by corruption and nepotism.”

Pawan Chamling, the SDF president and who was the longest serving chief minister of the country said: “Sikkim voters have realised their mistake of voting SKM to power in 2019. Hence, they will again vote the SDF back to power.”

SDF spokesperson Arun Limboo said, “We will win 19 to 26 seats.”

Though the electoral fight seems to be between the SKM and the SDF, the BJP and CAP, which was formed on January 26, 2023, are optimistic of clinching some seats.

The BJP, which was an alliance partner of the ruling SKM, decided to go all alone and is contesting from 31 assembly seats and lone Lok Sabha seat. The CAP, which is doing “flag-less” and “slogan-less” politics, is contesting from 30 assembly seats and lone Lok Sabha seat.

The Congress is contesting from 18 assembly seats and lone Lok Sabha seat. SKM and SDF are contesting from all 32 assembly seats and lone Lok Sabha seat.

Passang Gyali Sherpa, the BJP Sikkim state spokesperson told HT: “Sikkimese voters have voted for the performance of Modi government and its zero tolerance for corruption.”

Dilli Ram Thapa, the BJP Sikkim state president, said: “BJP will play a pivotal role in the formation of the government. We are open for discussions with all the parties to ensure the betterment of Sikkim and the citizens.”

The BJP had secured less than 2% of the vote in the 2019 election. In 2019, soon after the election results were announced, 10 of the SDF MLAs joined the BJP while two SDF MLAs joined the ruling SKM.

In a neck-and-neck fight in 2019, out of 32 seats the SKM had won 17 and SDF 15. Two of the SDF MLAs including the then chief minister Pawan Chamling and one SKM Candidate had won from two seats each.

In the assembly by-election held for the three seats, the SKM president and present chief minister contested from one seat and the BJP in alliance with the SKM contested from two seats and won. At present, SKM has 19 MLAs, BJP 12 and the SDF one. The known SDF MLA is Pawan Chamling, the former chief minister.

Rajiv Ravidas, a political analyst in Sikkim said: “Though in the past, elections were contested directly between the two parties, this year there would be four corner contest and the BJP and CAP are also expected to win a few seats.”

Protected under Article 371(F) of Indian Constitution, Sikkim, which was a sovereign country till 1975, enjoys special status. Opposition parties including the SDF and CAP have been accusing the ruling SKM for diluting the special status, while the ruling SKM has hit back and is holding the SDF, which was in power for 25 years for compromising with the special status.

As far as the election campaign was concerned, the ruling SKM was far ahead in organising public meetings and rallies.

Chief minister Golay, who formed the SKM in 2013, was with the SDF for a long period and was an MLA and minister multiple times. He started his revolt against the then ruling party SDF and particularly Pawan Chamling in 2009. Four years after his revolt, Golay formed SKM and in 2014 election, it won 10 seats.

Among the important candidates contesting the election are the chief minister himself, who is contesting from two seats namely Soreng-Chakung and Rhenock. His wife Krishna Kumari Rai is contesting from Namchi-Singithang constituency. Pawan Chamling, the former chief minister is contesting from two seats namely Poklok-Kamrang and Namchabong. Dilli Ram Thapa, the state BJP president is contesting from Upper Burtuk constituency. Ganesh Kumar Rai, the chief minister candidate of CAP, is contesting from Melli and Bhaichung Bhutia, who had floated his own party Hamro Sikkim Party in 2018, is contesting as SDF candidate from Barfung constituency.

For the lone Lok Sabha-seat, while the SKM has fielded sitting MP Indra Hang Subba, the SDF has fielded former Lok Sabha MP PD Rai. BJP has fielded Dinesh Nepal, CAP has fielded Bharat Basnet and Congress has fielded Gopal Chhetri.

Sikkim has one seat reserved for the Buddhist monks named Sangha. The seat has 4,065 registered monk voters. This year the SKM fielded sitting MLA Sonam Lama, the SDF fielded Tshering Lama, BJP fielded Tseten Tashi Bhutia, who is the convenor of Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC). Tseten Tashi Bhutia who underwent kidney transplant never campaigned for himself, as he is still in the hospital.

Sikkim has a total of 463,929 voters out of which 232,381 are male voters and 231,545 are female voters and three transgender voters.