Sikkim Assembly Elections Results 2019 LIVE: SDF Leading in Sanghas, Chamling Ahead at Poklok-Kamrang
The Sikkim Assembly Elections have 32 seats up for contest, with present CM Pawan Kumar Chamling targeting a sixth consecutive run, chief opposition PS Golay looking to oust his 25-year reign, and newcomer Bhaichung Bhutia aiming to pull off upsets in the state.
(Representative image)
Counting of votes has begun in Sikkim, with SDF taking an early lead. Incumbent Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling is leading at Poklok-Kamrang, his home constituency in South Sikkim. SDF is also leading at Sanghas, the exclusive constituencies set up for monks to vote. Sikkim is one of the four states that held simultaneous Legislative Assembly elections, alongside the General elections held across the country. Voting for electing the state government was held in Sikkim at the very first phase on April 11, with a total of 150 candidates battling it out in 32 constituencies.
The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has enjoyed overwhelming stronghold for 25 years now, with the Sikkim Chief Minister and the party’s founder-president Pawan Kumar Chamling presently being India’s longest serving Chief Minister for any state, after independence. Challenging the SDF’s dominance are principal opposition Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), spearheaded by party chief Prem Singh Tamang, and the rising Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP), led by Indian football legend and ex-captain, Bhaichung Bhutia. Both the parties are aiming for putting an end to the SDF’s continued stronghold over Sikkim, while also keeping an eye out for the solitary Lok Sabha seat assigned to the Sikkim constituency.
Here are the latest developments from the state:
1. Incumbent CM Pawan Kumar Chamling has taken an early lead at his home constituency, Poklok-Kamrang (South Sikkim).
2. SDF takes early lead as counting begins in Sanghas in Sikkim (South) constituencies. Sanghas are polling booths set up exclusively for monks to exercise their votes.
3. The Sikkim election office reported a total of 4,32,306 eligible voters in the state, and eventual turnout of 78.19 percent, which albeit high, is lower than the 83.85 percent voter turnout recorded during the 2014 elections.
4. A total of 150 candidates have contested for the 32 Assembly seats, with the 17 seats required to form the new government.
5. Alongside SDF, prime opposition SKM and newcomers HSP, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) are also looking to make inroads in Sikkim for the first time in history.
6. The BJP had initially struck a strategic alliance with SKM to take on the might of SDF in Sikkim. The alliance broke down soon after it was publicly announced, following which the BJP blamed SKM for having “chickened out at the last minute without giving any reasons,” as per a PTI report.
7. Prem Singh Tamang, popularly known as P.S Golay, was a minister in the Chamling-led government, before being convicted in a cattle distribution scam. He was subsequently forced to relinquish his Legislative Assembly membership, and serve a one-year imprisonment term.
8. Indian footballing legend and ex-national team captain, Bhaichung Bhutia, has led the formation and promotion of Hamro Sikkim Party. The party is headed by 35-year-old Dr. Beena Basnett, an MBBS graduate.
9. Key grounds of HSP’s campaigning has been centered around promoting women empowerment, while accusing the Chamling-led SDF government of incompetency and internal corruption.
10. Both the SKM and HSP have accused the SDF of blatantly corrupt practices, charging that the incumbent government is using its amassed financial might to draw away senior party members by brute force.
11. The BJP, led by party youth leader Laten Tshering Sherpa, is looking to make progress in India’s second-smallest state, for the first time ever.
12. The INC won the people’s support for the last time in 1984, after forming the first Sikkimese government under India between 1975 and 1979. Ever since, Sikkim has always elected in favour of regional parties, clearly avoiding national ones.
13. While the SDF had won a record 32 out of 32 Assembly seats in 2009, the SKM hit a considerable dent in the SDF’s tally in 2014, when it won 10 out of the 32 seats in the state.
14. Interestingly, SKM chief Tamang is not contesting from any Assembly seat, despite being announced as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate. Instead, his eldest son Aditya Golay has contested the elections from their home constituency of Soreng-Chakung, West Sikkim.
15. CM Chamling is contesting for a sixth straight term from two constituencies — Poklok-Kamrang and Namchi Singhithang, both in his native South Sikkim.
16. HSP’s working president Bhaichung Bhutia has contested from two Assembly constituencies as well — Gangtok in East Sikkim, and Tumen Lingi in South Sikkim.
17. In a bid to strengthen his claim for a sixth straight run as CM, Chamling announced in March a nine-point agenda for upliftment of the quality of life for Sikkim residents.
18. Among points such as establishing a universal basic income, accessible government services and free healthcare, Chamling’s promise also included the upliftment of fringe and marginalised tribal communities.
(Get detailed and live results of each and every seat in the Lok Sabha elections and state Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and to know which candidate/party is leading or trailing and to know who has won and who has lost and by what margin. Our one-of-its-kind Election Analytics Centre lets you don a psephologist’s hat and turn into an election expert. Know interesting facts and trivia about the elections and see our informative graphics. Elections = News18)
The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has enjoyed overwhelming stronghold for 25 years now, with the Sikkim Chief Minister and the party’s founder-president Pawan Kumar Chamling presently being India’s longest serving Chief Minister for any state, after independence. Challenging the SDF’s dominance are principal opposition Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), spearheaded by party chief Prem Singh Tamang, and the rising Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP), led by Indian football legend and ex-captain, Bhaichung Bhutia. Both the parties are aiming for putting an end to the SDF’s continued stronghold over Sikkim, while also keeping an eye out for the solitary Lok Sabha seat assigned to the Sikkim constituency.
Here are the latest developments from the state:
1. Incumbent CM Pawan Kumar Chamling has taken an early lead at his home constituency, Poklok-Kamrang (South Sikkim).
2. SDF takes early lead as counting begins in Sanghas in Sikkim (South) constituencies. Sanghas are polling booths set up exclusively for monks to exercise their votes.
3. The Sikkim election office reported a total of 4,32,306 eligible voters in the state, and eventual turnout of 78.19 percent, which albeit high, is lower than the 83.85 percent voter turnout recorded during the 2014 elections.
4. A total of 150 candidates have contested for the 32 Assembly seats, with the 17 seats required to form the new government.
5. Alongside SDF, prime opposition SKM and newcomers HSP, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) are also looking to make inroads in Sikkim for the first time in history.
6. The BJP had initially struck a strategic alliance with SKM to take on the might of SDF in Sikkim. The alliance broke down soon after it was publicly announced, following which the BJP blamed SKM for having “chickened out at the last minute without giving any reasons,” as per a PTI report.
7. Prem Singh Tamang, popularly known as P.S Golay, was a minister in the Chamling-led government, before being convicted in a cattle distribution scam. He was subsequently forced to relinquish his Legislative Assembly membership, and serve a one-year imprisonment term.
8. Indian footballing legend and ex-national team captain, Bhaichung Bhutia, has led the formation and promotion of Hamro Sikkim Party. The party is headed by 35-year-old Dr. Beena Basnett, an MBBS graduate.
9. Key grounds of HSP’s campaigning has been centered around promoting women empowerment, while accusing the Chamling-led SDF government of incompetency and internal corruption.
10. Both the SKM and HSP have accused the SDF of blatantly corrupt practices, charging that the incumbent government is using its amassed financial might to draw away senior party members by brute force.
11. The BJP, led by party youth leader Laten Tshering Sherpa, is looking to make progress in India’s second-smallest state, for the first time ever.
12. The INC won the people’s support for the last time in 1984, after forming the first Sikkimese government under India between 1975 and 1979. Ever since, Sikkim has always elected in favour of regional parties, clearly avoiding national ones.
13. While the SDF had won a record 32 out of 32 Assembly seats in 2009, the SKM hit a considerable dent in the SDF’s tally in 2014, when it won 10 out of the 32 seats in the state.
14. Interestingly, SKM chief Tamang is not contesting from any Assembly seat, despite being announced as the party’s Chief Ministerial candidate. Instead, his eldest son Aditya Golay has contested the elections from their home constituency of Soreng-Chakung, West Sikkim.
15. CM Chamling is contesting for a sixth straight term from two constituencies — Poklok-Kamrang and Namchi Singhithang, both in his native South Sikkim.
16. HSP’s working president Bhaichung Bhutia has contested from two Assembly constituencies as well — Gangtok in East Sikkim, and Tumen Lingi in South Sikkim.
17. In a bid to strengthen his claim for a sixth straight run as CM, Chamling announced in March a nine-point agenda for upliftment of the quality of life for Sikkim residents.
18. Among points such as establishing a universal basic income, accessible government services and free healthcare, Chamling’s promise also included the upliftment of fringe and marginalised tribal communities.
(Get detailed and live results of each and every seat in the Lok Sabha elections and state Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and to know which candidate/party is leading or trailing and to know who has won and who has lost and by what margin. Our one-of-its-kind Election Analytics Centre lets you don a psephologist’s hat and turn into an election expert. Know interesting facts and trivia about the elections and see our informative graphics. Elections = News18)