Peaceful voting underway in Sikkim: 147 candidates are in fray for 32 Assembly seats, 14 for lone LS seat

Voting is underway for 32 Assembly constituencies and the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Sikkim.
Voting has begun at 7 am at 573 polling stations spread over the entire State. Voting is peaceful so far as no report of untoward incident has been reported yet.

While, 147 candidates are in fray for 32 Assembly seats, 14 candidates are in fray for the lone Lok Sabha constituency in the state.

4 lakh 63 thousand 929 voters out of which 2,32,381 are male voters and 2,31,545 are female voters will decide the fate of the total 161 candidates in fray.

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang cast his vote at a polling station in Gangtok.
Speaking to media, CM Tamang exuded confidence about Sikkim Krantikari Morcha’s victory as it has won the hearts of the people of the state over the last 5 years.

“Our party has done the work that could not be done by the previous government in the last 25 years. In the last 5 years, our party workers have won the hearts of the people. We are sure that our party will win 32 out of 32 Assembly seats.”

The ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) is contesting in all the 32 seats, while the opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) is also contesting from all the constituencies.

The BJP which snapped ties with the SKM recently is contesting in 31 seats, the Congress in 12 seats and the Citizens Action Party in 30 seats.

There are 8 Independent candidates in fray
2 from Yoksam-tashiding (BL) assembly constituency
1 from Yangthang assembly constituency
1 from Maneybung-Dentam
1 from Yalshing- Barnyak
1 from Melli
1 from West Pendam
1 from Upper Tadong
Chief Minister PS Tamang is contesting from the Soreng-Chakung seat and will also be in fray from the Rhenock seat.
The other key candidates in the fray are former 5-time Chief Minister Pawan Chamling fray from the Poklok-Kamrang and Namcheybung Assembly constituencies.
In 2019 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election, Chamling had won from both Poklok-Kamrang and Namchi-Singhithang constituencies, so he relinquished Poklok-Kamrang seat. In the by-election, SKM president and incumbent Chief Minister, Prem Singh Tamang won from the Poklok-Kamrang constituency.
Footballer-turned-politician Bhaichung Bhutia who had joined the SDF before the elections is contesting from the Barfung Assembly constituency.
Citizens Action Party chief Ganesh Kumar Rai is in fray from the Melli and Chujachen Assembly constituencies.
At present the SKM has 19 MLAs in the Assembly followed by the BJP with 8, 3 Independents and 1 MLA from the SDF.
Polling for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the seat will also be held simultaneously with the Assembly Elections tomorrow.
14 candidates are in the fray from the lone Lok Sabha seat in Sikkim.
Among these 14 candidates are incumbent MP Indra Hang Subba of SKM, opposition SDF’s PD Rai, Congress’s Gopal Chettri, CAP’s Bharat Basnett, and DC Nepal of BJP.
The results will be declared on June 2.

Also Read: Polling for 15 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Northeast underway, 96 candidates in fray