Sikkim Assembly election 2024 results: SKM sweeps polls by winning 31 of 32 seats, SDF bags 1

The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) on Sunday returned to power by sweeping the assembly polls in the Himalayan state, winning 31 of the 32 seats, according to the Election Commission.

The opposition Sikkim Democratic Front could manage only one seat.

Elections to the Sikkim Assembly were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls on April 19.

Former football star Bhaichung Bhutia set to lose his sixth election since 2014, this time on an SDF ticket from the reserved Barfung constituency to Rishal Dorjee Bhutia of SKM by 4,346 votes.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha supremo Prem Singh Tamang on Sunday gave credit for the party’s landslide victory in the assembly election in the state to the hard work of the SKM cadre and the trust of the people in his government.

After the landslide win, Mr. Tamang who is also the Chief Minister, congratulated the party supporters and the voters of Sikkim.

“It is because of the love and trust of the people which we have managed to secure in the past five years in government. Besides, party cadres worked very hard. Now we have the next five years to give our 100 per cent for the people of Sikkim,” he said at a gathering in Paljor Stadium in Gangtok.

Tamang won from both Rhenock and Soreng-Chakung constituencies that he contested.

In 2019, the SKM had won 17 seats and unseated the Sikkim Democratic Front party (SDF) which ruled the state for 25 years in a row.

-PTI

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang’s wife Krishna Kumari Rai won from the Namchi-Singhithang assembly constituency on Sunday, officials said.

Krishna Rai the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) candidate defeated her nearest Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) rival Bimal Rai by 5,302 votes.

The SKM nominee secured 7,605 votes while her SDF opponent bagged 2,605 votes.

Mahesh Rai (CAP-S) and Aruna Manger (BJP) polled 136 and 233 votes.

-PTI

Former Sikkim chief minister and SDF supremo Pawan Kumar Chamling lost to SKM nominees in both Poklok Kamrang and Namcheybung assembly constituencies he contested, officials said on Sunday.

In the Poklok Kamrang assembly constituency, Bhoj Raj Rai of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha secured 8,037 votes while Chamling got 4,974 votes, they said.

The Sikkim Democratic Front supremo lost the Namcheybung assembly segment to SKM’s Raju Basnet by 2,256 votes.

Basnet got 7,195 votes while Chamling bagged 4,939 votes.

-PTI

With 19 seats already in the bag -- two more than the required majority -- the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha is in a comfortable position to retain power in the Himalayan State for a second time.

While Chief Minister Tamang has won from his constituency, opposition leader and SDF supremo Chamling has lost from both the seats he was contesting. 

The SDF has won only one seat so far -- Shyari, from where they fielded turncoat candidate Tenzing Norbu Lamtha. 

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Former CM Pawan Kumar Chamling of SDF loses from both seats -- Namcheybung to SKM’s Raju Basnet by 2,256 votes and Poklok-Kamrang to Bhoj Raj Rai of SKM by 3,063 voters. 

Former Chief Minister and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) supremo Pawan Kumar Chamling is trailing behind Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) candidate Raju Basnet by 1,935 votes in the Namcheybung seat at 12 noon. In the Poklok Kamrang Assembly constituency, he lost to Bhoj Raj Rai of SKM by 3,063 votes.

With a margin of only 1,314 votes, Tenzing Norbu Lamtha of the Sikkim Democratic Front party won the Shyari seat on June 2, as results for the Sikkim Assembly continued to pour in. For the SDF, which once was on a winning streak in Sikkim, Shyari is emerging to be the only seat that the party will be winning this time around, after fielding a turncoat from there. 

Here’s how some of Sikkim’s key candidates are faring in the Assembly election, as per the latest ECI trends:

1. Chief Minister P.S. Tamang: Won from the Rhenock Assembly seat by defeating SDF’s Som Nath Poudyal by 7,044 votes.
2. Sikkim’s longest serving CM Pawan Kumar Chamling: Trailing behind SKM candidate Raju Basnet by 1,935 votes in the Namcheybung seat. Lost from the Poklok Kamrang Assembly constituency against Bhoj Raj Rai of SKM by 3,063 votes.
3. Former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia: Trailing behind SKM’s Rikshal Dorjee Bhutia by 4,346 votes.

CM Prem Singh Tamang “Golay” has been declared the winner from Rhenock along with Ministers Bhim Hang Limboo (Yangthang) and Lall Bahadur Das (West Pendam). 

Prem Singh Tamang, better known as P.S. Golay, hailing from West Sikkim, has been a part of the political scene in the State since the early 1990s. The crack between Mr. Golay and the SDF began to appear soon after his victory in the 2009 elections. After five years of open confrontation with the party leadership, he officially resigned from the SDF in September 2013 and founded the SKM, a month later. 

SKM wins two more seats, taking its tally to four.

Social Welfare Minister Sanjeet Kharel of SKM declared winner from Namthang-Rateypani over SDF’s Suman Pradhan by 5,605 votes.

SKM’s Tshering Thendup Bhutia wins Yuksom Tashiding seat, defeating SDF’s Meewang Gyatso Bhutia by 4,812 votes.

Continuing their streak of victory, the SKM managed to bag its second seat -- Chujachen. 

SKM’s PK Gurung defeated MK Gurung of SDF by 3,334 votes.

- Rahul Karmakar

SKM’s Pintso Namgyal Lepcha from the Djongu constituency has been declared a winner, as per the Election Commission of India.

After five rounds of voting, he won with an impressive margin of 5,007 votes. 

SKM leading, followed by BJP in Sangha, a non-geographic constituency reserved for the Buddhist monastic community

The ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) was heading for a clean sweep, leading in 29 of the 30 seats where trends were available by 9:30 a.m. The counting in 18 seats was completed but results have not been declared.

The contest in Sikkim was expected to be a close one between the SKM and the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF). From the early trends, it became apparent that the SDF could not put up a fight with heavyweights Pawan Kumar Chamling, a five-time Chief Minister, and former national football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia trailing behind their SKM rivals by a wide margin. 

The BJP and the newly-floated Citizen Action Party also could not live up to expectations and hype. 

- Rahul Karmakar

As per the latest trends, the Sikkim Democratic Front party is leading from only one seat - Shyari, from where the party has nominated Tenzing Norbu Lamtha. He recently switched camps from the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha to the Sikkim Democratic Front. While in the ruling SKM, he had occupied crucial positions within the party.

Two of the 32 seats where the trend was not available by 9:10 am are Rangang-Yangang and Sangha, a non-geographic constituency reserved for the Buddhist monastic community.

- Rahul Karmakar

SKM candidates leading by substantial margins in eight seats after 3 out of 3 rounds. 

SDF’s Tenzing Norbu Lamtha has also established significant leads after three rounds of counting in the Shyari constiteuncy. 

Former national football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia of SDF trailing in Barfung (reserved for Bhutia-Lepcha communities) seat by 1,960 votes after first round of counting as ruling SKM extends lead to 28 seats. 

To give the SKM a tough fight in the Assembly polls, Chamling roped in former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia, a popular person in the Himalayan state to chart a new course in state politics.

Forty-five-year-old Bhutia buried all his differences with the SDF supremo and merged his party, Hamro Sikkim, with the SDF.

After third round of counting in 2 seats, second round in 8 seats, and first round in the rest, SKM leading in 27 seats, SDF in one. Former CM Pawan Kumar Chamling of SDF trailing behind SKM candidates in both Namcyebung and Poklok-Kamrang constituencies.

SDF candidate has maintained his lead from the Shyari constituency after two rounds of counting. The seat of Shyari was won by the SDF in 2009, but has been with the incumbent SKM’s Kunga Nima Lepcha since 2014. 

After second round of counting in six seats, and first round in 18, SKM leading in 24 seats, SDF in one.

Of the 24 seats, SKM leading over SDF candidates in 19 seats, BJP and CAP in two each, and independent in one.

Counting of votes for 32 assembly seats in Sikkim began at 6 am, amid tight security arrangements, officials said.

The counting was underway at one location each in all six districts of the State. 

While the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha extended its ongoing lead to 19 seats, the opposition SDF managed gains in the seat of Shyari. 

Former CM Pawan Kumar Chamling of SDF is training behind SKM’s Raju Basnet in Namcheybung

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang had claimed before results that his party would win 26 of the State’s 32 seats.

- Rahul Karmakar

During the first round of counting, the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha has gained a lead in seven seats.

These include: Chujachen, Djongu, Gnathang-Machong, Gyalshing-Barnyak, Daramdim, Rhenock, and Yangthang.

- Rahul Karmakar

With votes counting now underway for over an hour now, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha has gained a lead over its opposition Sikkim Democratic Front in one seat, Election Commission data showed. 

In the first round of counting, SKM’s Puran Kr. Gurung is leading form the Chujachen seat.

Preparations have been made for counting votes for nine seats in Gangtok district, seven in Namchi, five in Pakyong, four each in Soreng and Gyalshing and three in Mangan, electoral officials said.

Elaborate security arrangements have been made under the supervision of the observers deputed by the Election Commission of India to carry out the process in a free and fair manner, the officials said.

- PTI

An estimated 80% of the 4.64 lakh voters had exercised their franchise in the Sikkim Assembly elections on April 19.

An additional four per cent of votes were cast through postal by government officials and employees, the CEO office said.

- PTI

Counting of votes for 32 Assembly seats in Sikkim began amid tight security arrangements, officials said.

The counting was underway at one location each in all six districts of the State.

Postal ballots will be taken up first for counting while votes in the EVMs will be counted later, officials said.

- PTI