SKM Announces Candidates for Bypolls, CM’s Son Aditya Golay To Contest from Soreng-Chakung, Satish Rai From Namchi-Shinghithang

The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha announced its candidates for the Soreng-Chakung and Namchi-Shingithan seats. 34-year old Aditya Golay, son of SKM chief and Chief minister PS Golay would be contesting from the Soreng-Chakung seat, and Satish Chandra Rai will contest from the Namchi-Shingithan.

This will be the second time that Aditya Golay would be fighting for the Soreng-Chakung seat. He won the seat in 2019. Aditya was barely 29 years old when he won the Soreng Chakung seat with 6,580 votes defeating SDF’s Sancha Raj Subba who polled 6,372 votes. But Aditya did not contest the Assembly elections this year as his father contested from the seat and won with 10,480 votes.

The SKM party has been rallying behind Aditya Golay. Hours before the party announced his candidature, Jacob Khaling, the Chief Minister’s Political Secretary, called on SKM workers to ensure his decisive victory in the upcoming by-election.

He expressed confidence in Golay’s ability to represent the constituency effectively with his previous experience as the MLA from 2019 to 2024.

There has been a strong campaign going on in social media to support Aditya Golay.

The Soreng-Chakung seat fell vacant after CM Tamang vacated the seat as he had won the Soreng-Chakung as well as the Rhenock seat and decided seat to give up Soreng-Chakung.

Satish Chandra Rai is a veteran politician of Sikkim. He contested the Lok Sabha elections of 1999 as a Sikkim Sangram Parishad candidate but lost. After that he joined Sikkim Democratic Front and in 2019 he joined SKM. He is the former Chairman of Skill Development Department.

In the Assembly elections held this year, the Namchi- Shinghithang seat was won by Krishna Kumari Rai, wife of CM Tamang. She polled 7,907 votes and defeated Bimal Rai of SDF with a margin of 5302 votes.

By-elections for both seats will be held on November 13 and results will be declared on November 23.