Sikkim Legislative Assembly election, 2014

Sikkim Legislative Assembly election 2014

12 April 2014

All 32 Assembly Constituencies 17 by seats needed for a majority Turnout 80.97%[1]   Majority party Minority party   Leader Pawan Kumar Chamling Prem Singh Tamang alias P S Golay Party SDF SKM Leader since 1994 2014 Leader's seat Namchi-Singhithang and Rangang-Yangang Namthang-Rateypani (lost) and Upper Burtuk Last election - Seats before all 32 - Seats won 22 10 Seat change 10 10 Popular vote 169986[2] 126024[2] Percentage 55%[2] 40.8%[2]

Constituencies of Sikkim

Chief Minister of Sikkim before election Pawan Chamling SDF Chief Minister of Sikkim Pawan Chamling SDF

The election was held on 12 April 2014 for 7th assembly of Sikkim, the northeastern state of India. It elected 32 members of Sikkim Legislative Assembly.^[3][4]

Background

Pawan Chamling led SDF had already formed the previous four governments in Sikkim having first formed the government after the 1994 election, when they won 19 seats within a year of the party being formed,^[5] and then again after the 1999 election, when they increased their tally to 24 seats.^[6] Chamling's third term began on May 21, 2004 after increasing his telly to 31.^[7][8] In the Sikkim Legislative Assembly election, 2009, the SDF had a clean-sweep winning all 32 seats in the state assembly and Chamling sworn in as a Chief Minister fourth times on May 20, 2009. SDF is contesting for the fifth consecutive term.^[9]

Campaign and issues

The Buddhist minority demanded Karmapa to contest from Rumtek monastery. Nepali community in Sikkim demanded tribal status.^[9]

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) was formed by Prem Singh Tamang in February 2013. Prem Singh Tamang alias P S Golay left Chamling's SDF in September 2014 and joined SKM. SKM contested from all 32 seats.^[9][10]

Schedule of election

Poll Event	Dates
Announcement & Issue of Press Note	March 5, 2014
Issue of Notification	March 19, 2014
Last Date for filing Nominations	March 26, 2014Thursday, 09 Apr 2009
Scrutiny of Nominations	March 27, 2014 Friday, 10 Apr 2009
Last date for withdrawal of Candidature	March 29, 2014
Date of Poll	April 12, 2014
Counting of Votes on	May 16, 2014
Date before which election shall be completed	May 20, 2014
Constituencies Polling on this day	32
Source: Election Commission of India[3]

Polling

There were 370,731eligible voters including 1,79,650 female voters. 538 polling stations were set up by election commission which were guarded by 3500 policemens and 15 companies of West Bengal Police. There are two seats reserved for scheduled castes (SC), 12 for Bhutia and Lepcha (BL) communities out of 32 seats. One Sangha seat is reserved for 2900 monks of over 100 monasteries.^[9]

SKM leader Golay contested from Namthang-Rateypani seat against incumbent SDF minister Tilu Gurung.^[9]

SDF leader and incumbent chief minister Chamling contested from two places, Namchi-Singhithang and Rangang-Yangang.^[9]

Voter turnout

Total 80.97% of electorate including 80.57% males and 81.40% females cast their vote.^[1]

Voter turnout at each constituency was as below:^[1]

No.	Constituency	Voter turnout %
1	Yoksam- Tashiding (BL)	84.66
2	Yangthang	82.18
3	Maneybong Dentam	83.59
4	Gyalshing Barnyak	82.19
5	Rinchenpong	84.73
6	Daramdin	82.34
7	Soreng Chakung	83.52
8	Salghari Zoom (SC)	82.61
9	Barfung (BL)	83.37
10	Poklok Kamrang	84.16
11	Namchi Singhithang	76.87
12	Melli	82.16
13	Namthang Rateypani	81.64
14	Temi Namphing	81.33
15	Rangang Yangang	82.53
16	Tumin Lingee (BL)	82.66
17	Khamdong Singtam	82.32
18	West Pendam (SC)	81.15
19	Rhenok	82.02
20	Chujachen	80.44
21	Gnathang Machong (BL)	81.40
22	Namchwybong	82.42
23	Shyari (BL)	78.14
24	Martam Rumtek (BL)	80.23
25	Upper Tadong	73.54
26	Arithang	71.14
27	Gangtok (BL)	65.94
28	Upper Burtuk	78.77
29	Kabi Lungchuk (BL)	80.37
30	Djongu (BL)	86.49
31	Lachen Mangan (BL)	82.72
32	Sangha	74.62
	Total	80.97

Parties and candidates

Party Type	Code	Party Name	Number of candidates	Total
National Parties	BJP	Bharatiya Janata Party	13	45
	INC	Indian National Congress	32
State registered and recognized parties	SDF	Sikkim Democratic Front	32	32
State registered and unrecognised parties	TMC	Trinamool Congress	7	39
	SKM	Sikkim Krantikari Morcha	32
Independents	n/a	Independents	5	5
Total:				121
Source:[9]

Result

Votes were counted and results were declared on May 16, 2014. SDF lost 10 seats to SKM resulting in formation of opposition in the assembly which did not exist in previous assembly.

Summary:^[2]

 Summary of results of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly election, 2014

	Political Party	Flag	Candidates	Number of Votes	Seats Won	Net Change in seats	% of Votes	Change in % of vote
	SDF		32	169983	22	10	55.0%
	SKM		32	126024	10	10	40.8%	-
	INC		32	4390	0	0	1.4%
	BJP		13	2208	0	0	0.7%
	AITMC		7	586	0	0	0.2%	-
	Independent		5	1227	0	0	0.4
	NOTA		-	4460	-	-	1.4%	-
			Total	478,861	Turnout	-	Voters	-

The candidates elected to seventh legislative assembly are listed below:^{[11][12][13][14]}

No.	Constituency	Member	Party
1	Yoksam- Tashiding (BL)	Sonam Dadul Bhutia	SDF
2	Yangthang	Chandra Maya Limboo (Subba)	SDF
3	Maneybong Dentam	Narendra Kumar Subba	SDF
4	Gyalshing Barnyak	Sher Bahadur Subedi	SDF
5	Rinchenpong	Karma Sonam Lepcha	SDF
6	Daramdin	Danorbu Sherpa	SDF
7	Soreng Chakung	Ram Bahadur Limboo (Subba)	SDF
8	Salghari Zoom (SC)	Arjun Kumar Ghatani	SDF
9	Barfung (BL)	Dorjee Dazom Bhutia	SDF
10	Poklok Kamrang	Kedar Nath Rai	SDF
11	Namchi Singhithang	Pawan Chamling	SDF
12	Melli	Tulshi Devi Rai	SDF
13	Namthang Rateypani	Tilu Gurung	SDF
14	Temi Namphing	Garjaman Gurung	SDF
15	Rangang Yangang	Pawan Chamling	SDF
16	Tumin Lingee (BL)	Ugen T Gyatso Bhutia	SDF
17	Khamdong Singtam	Som Nath Poudyal	SDF
18	West Pendam (SC)	Gopal Baraily	SKM
19	Rhenok	Hemendra Adhikari	SKM
20	Chujachen	Bikram Pradhan	SDF
21	Gnathang Machong (BL)	Dorjee Tsh. Lepcha	SDF
22	Namchwybong	Bek Bahadur Rai	SDF
23	Shyari (BL)	Kunga Nima Lepchs	SKM
24	Martam Rumtek (BL)	Mechung Bhutia	SKM
25	Upper Tadong	Timothy William Basnett	SKM
26	Arithang	Shyam Pradhan	SKM
27	Gangtok (BL)	Pintso Chopel	SKM
28	Upper Burtuk	Prem Singh Tamang	SKM
29	Kabi Lungchuk (BL)	Ugen Nedup Bhutia	SKM
30	Djongu (BL)	Sonam Gyatso Lepcha	SDF
31	Lachen Mangan (BL)	Tshering Wangdi Lepcha	SDF
32	Sangha	Sonam Lama	SKM

Government formation

SDF led by Chamling secured majority by winning 22 out of 32 seats. SKM won the rest ten seats.

Pawan Kumar Chamling was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Sikkim for the fifth time on May 21, 2014 by Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil, the Governor of Sikkim. He became the chief minister fifth time, a record previously held by Jyoti Basu who ruled West Bengal from 1977 to 2000.^[15]

See also

• Sikkim Legislative Assembly

References

1. "Sikkim Legislative Assembly election 2014 voter turnout". Chief Election Officer, Sikkim. April 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 13, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
2. "Partywise assembly election result status". ECI. Archived from the original on 2014-05-16.
3. "ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA GENERAL ELECTIONS 2014 ASSEMBLY CONSTITUENCIES IN SIKKIM" (PDF). Election Commission Of India Portal, Page 57.
4. "SIKKIM LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY". legislativebodiesinindia.nic.in.
5. "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1994 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SIKKIM" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
6. "STATISTICAL REPORT ON GENERAL ELECTION, 1999 TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF SIKKIM" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
7. Dam, Marcus (2009-05-21). "Will strive to remove urban, rural disparities: Chamling". The Hindu. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
8. "All my State wants is justice: Chamling". The Hindu. 2009-05-20. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
9. "Sikkim Assembly polls LIVE: Pawan Chamling's fate hangs in balance as voting begins". Zee news. April 12, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2014.
10. "Why Sikkim is more excited about assembly polls than Lok Sabha elections?". DNA. 2 April 2014. Retrieved 11 May 2014.
11. "Sikkim Result Status". ECI. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2014-05-16.
12. "Sikkim Result Status". ECI. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2014-05-16.
13. "Sikkim Result Status". ECI. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2014-05-16.
14. "Sikkim Result Status". ECI. p. 4. Archived from the original on 2014-05-16.
15. "Chamling sworn in as Sikkim CM for record fifth time". The Indian Express (Gangtok). Press Trust of India. May 21, 2014. Retrieved May 21, 2014.