Sikkim witnessed a resounding victory as the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) clinched a landslide win, securing an overwhelming majority by capturing 31 out of 32 seats in the assembly elections. Premier Singh Tamang, the Chief Minister of Sikkim and leader of the SKM party, emerged victorious in the Rhenock constituency, decisively defeating his Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) rival, Som Nath Poudyal, by a significant margin of 7,044 votes.
Addressing the media amidst celebrations at the party office in Gangtok, Tamang expressed gratitude to the people of Sikkim and credited the hard work of his party workers for the victory. “Pawan Kumar Chamling lost completely in 2019 only but it’s a democracy. The work they couldn’t do in 25 years, we did it in five years. People have voted on that basis,” Tamang remarked.
However, the SDF managed to secure victory only in the Shyari constituency. Former Chief Minister and SDF supremo, Pawan Kumar Chamling, faced defeat to SKM nominee Bhoj Raj Rai in the Poklok assembly seat by a margin of 3,063 votes.
Chamling’s defeat marks the end of an era for the veteran politician, who served as Chief Minister for five consecutive terms. His tenure, spanning nearly a quarter of a century, surpassed even the legendary Jyoti Basu’s tenure as Chief Minister of West Bengal. Chamling, who began his political journey by winning the presidency of Yangang gram panchayat in 1982, gradually rose to prominence, winning his maiden assembly election in 1985 from the Damthang constituency.
Despite his electoral successes and oratorical skills, Chamling’s downfall began five years ago when the SDF suffered significant losses in the 2019 assembly elections. The defection of 12 MLAs to other parties and the erosion of grassroots support dealt a severe blow to Chamling’s political stronghold.
The defeat of Chamling, once a formidable regional leader, underscores the shifting political landscape in Sikkim, signaling the rise of the SKM as the new dominant force in the state’s politics.
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