Intro: Sikkim will go to poll on 12 April 2014. In keeping with the mood, we bring to our readers, on one election per day basis, a look back at Assembly elections in Sikkim since 1979 when the first elections as a part of India were held in the State. The daily capsule will cover one election per day and provide details like the names of victors and runners-up from all 32 constituencies and their respective vote-share. The constituencies had different names and boundaries before 2009 when the new delimitation came into effect. The rest of the country might be undertaking opinion polls and poll projections, but at NOW! we believe that going over past records can help make better sense of ongoing issues and trends.
We hope our readers enjoy this exercise as much as we enjoyed putting it together. We present here, details of Election 1999.
PS: The following data is put together from the Statistical Reports on General Elections in Sikkim prepared by the Election Commission of India. The Bhutia-Lepcha reserved seats were recorded in the Statistical Reports for general elections of 1979 and 1984 as Scheduled Tribe seats and were accordingly written down as such in the tables prepared for those elections. From 1989 elections onwards, these are included in ECI records as BL and should have been accordingly updated in our records as well. We put in the corrections from today’s inclusion onwards.
Elections 1999
Total number of voters: 2,55,377 [M: 1,32,591; F: 1,22,786]
Parties in the fray: Sikkim Sangram Parishad, Sikkim Democratic Front, Indian National Congress, and CPI-M.
While 1994 was a three-way contest between SSP, SDF and Congress, by 1999, Congress had ceased being a factor, its vote-share falling from 15.59% [which translated to two MLAs] in 1994 to 3.78% in 1999. Twenty-eight of Congress’ 31 candidates lost their deposits in 1999 when the battle was straight fight between SDF and SSP which the former won, improving its Assembly strength from 19 in 1994 to 24 in 1999.
Voter Turnout: 81.83% [M: 84.36%; F: 79.10%]
OUTCOME: As mentioned, 1999 became a straight fight between SDF and SSP. Sangram was still a major factor with the protests of 1997 [on the employment exchange issue] still fresh in people’s minds and SDF having spent most of its first term in office hounded by rumours of an imminent toppling [which never happened]. Many victory margins were very slim and even though SDF recorded a resounding victory, it had to fight in every constituency. Although SSP improved its vote-share from 35.41% in 1994 to 41.88% in 1999, it was SDF took a bigger leap, improving its appeal among the voters from 42% in 1994 to 52.83% in 1999. SDF went on to form the government with 24 MLAs while SSP sat in the Opposition with seven MLAs. One MLA, Palden Lama, won the Sangha seat as an independent. He was backed by SDF which argued that the Sangha seat should be by consensus and for independent candidates. The party later started fielding candidates to the Sangha when certain sections started alleging that not fielding a candidate suggested that the party was not in favour of the Sangha seat. In 1999 also began the trend of candidates contesting from two candidates – Nar Bahadur Bhandari contesting from his traditional seat, Soreong, in West Sikkim, as well as Rhenock. He lost from Soreong and won Rhenock.
This is how Sikkim voted in 1999…
We hope our readers enjoy this exercise as much as we enjoyed putting it together. We present here, details of Election 1999.
PS: The following data is put together from the Statistical Reports on General Elections in Sikkim prepared by the Election Commission of India. The Bhutia-Lepcha reserved seats were recorded in the Statistical Reports for general elections of 1979 and 1984 as Scheduled Tribe seats and were accordingly written down as such in the tables prepared for those elections. From 1989 elections onwards, these are included in ECI records as BL and should have been accordingly updated in our records as well. We put in the corrections from today’s inclusion onwards.
Elections 1999
Total number of voters: 2,55,377 [M: 1,32,591; F: 1,22,786]
Parties in the fray: Sikkim Sangram Parishad, Sikkim Democratic Front, Indian National Congress, and CPI-M.
While 1994 was a three-way contest between SSP, SDF and Congress, by 1999, Congress had ceased being a factor, its vote-share falling from 15.59% [which translated to two MLAs] in 1994 to 3.78% in 1999. Twenty-eight of Congress’ 31 candidates lost their deposits in 1999 when the battle was straight fight between SDF and SSP which the former won, improving its Assembly strength from 19 in 1994 to 24 in 1999.
Voter Turnout: 81.83% [M: 84.36%; F: 79.10%]
OUTCOME: As mentioned, 1999 became a straight fight between SDF and SSP. Sangram was still a major factor with the protests of 1997 [on the employment exchange issue] still fresh in people’s minds and SDF having spent most of its first term in office hounded by rumours of an imminent toppling [which never happened]. Many victory margins were very slim and even though SDF recorded a resounding victory, it had to fight in every constituency. Although SSP improved its vote-share from 35.41% in 1994 to 41.88% in 1999, it was SDF took a bigger leap, improving its appeal among the voters from 42% in 1994 to 52.83% in 1999. SDF went on to form the government with 24 MLAs while SSP sat in the Opposition with seven MLAs. One MLA, Palden Lama, won the Sangha seat as an independent. He was backed by SDF which argued that the Sangha seat should be by consensus and for independent candidates. The party later started fielding candidates to the Sangha when certain sections started alleging that not fielding a candidate suggested that the party was not in favour of the Sangha seat. In 1999 also began the trend of candidates contesting from two candidates – Nar Bahadur Bhandari contesting from his traditional seat, Soreong, in West Sikkim, as well as Rhenock. He lost from Soreong and won Rhenock.
This is how Sikkim voted in 1999…
|
Constituency
|
Winner [with party and vote share in brackets]
|
Runner-up [with party and vote share in brackets]
|
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Yuksom
|
Kalawati Subba [SDF, 52.80%]
|
Mangalbir Subba [SSP, 28.50%]
|
|
Tashiding (BL)
|
Thutop Bhutia [SDF, 54.72%]
|
Sonam Dadul Kazi [SSP, 42.90%]
|
|
Geyzing
|
Sher Bahadur Subedi [SDF, 54.57%]
|
Puspak Ram Subba [SSP, 41.20%]
|
|
Dentam
|
Narendra Kumar Subba [SDF, 51.41%]
|
Padam Lal Gurung [SSP, 44.39%]
|
|
Barmiok
|
Tulshi Pd. Pradhan [SDF, 45.75%]
|
Birendra Subba [SSP, 39.28%]
|
|
Rinchenpong (BL)
|
Ongden Tshering Lepcha [SDF, 61.44%]
|
Pema Kinzang Bhutia [SSP, 33.78%]
|
|
Chakung
|
Prem Singh Tamang [SDF, 57.94%]
|
Tika Gurung [SSP, 39.25%]
|
|
Soreong
|
Ram Bahadur Subba [SDF, 49.81%]
|
Nar Bahadur Bhandari [SSP, 48.15%]
|
|
Daramdin
|
Ran Bahadur Subba [SDF, 61.89%]
|
Akar Dhoj Subba [SSP, 37.36%]
|
|
Jorthang-Nayabazar
|
Bhoj Raj Rai [SDF, 55.34%]
|
Bhim Raj Rai [SSP, 41,56%]
|
|
Ralong (BL)
|
Dorjee Dazom Bhutia [SDF, 54.31%]
|
Ugen Tashi Bhutia [SSP, 26.25%]
|
|
Wak
|
Kedar Nath Rai [SDF, 65.79%]
|
Manoj Rai [SSP, 33.71%]
|
|
Damthang
|
Pawan Kumar Chamling [SDF, 72.26%]
|
Kamal Kumar Rai [SSP, 27.23%]
|
|
Melli
|
Girish Chandra Rai [SDF, 58.81%]
|
GS Lama [SSP, 40.57%]
|
|
Rateypani-West Pendam (SC)
|
Chandra Kumar Mohora [SDF, 56.14%]
|
Madan Kumar Cintury [SSP, 42.94%]
|
|
Temi-Tarku
|
Garjaman Gurung [SDF, 58.71%]
|
Dil Kumari Bhandari [SSP, 41.01%]
|
|
Central Pendam-East Pendam
|
Sang Dorjee Tamang [SSP, 50.80%]
|
Dilli Prasad Kharel [SDF, 48.07%]
|
|
Rhenock
|
Nar Bahadur Bhandari [SSP, 55.97%]
|
Bedu Singh Panth [SDF, 42.86%]
|
|
Regu
|
Karna Bahadur Chamling [SDF, 50.91%]
|
Krishna Bahadur Rai [SSP, 48.52%]
|
|
Pathing (BL)
|
Sonam Dorjee [SSP, 52.63%]
|
Ram Lepcha [SDF, 40.69%]
|
|
Loosing-Pacheykhani
|
Jai Kumar Bhandari [SSP, 47.96%]
|
Vinod Pradhan [SDF, 47.87%]
|
|
Khamdong (SC)
|
Gopal Lamichney [SDF, 59.93%]
|
Lall Bahadur Das [SSP, 39.28%]
|
|
Djongu (BL)
|
Sonam Gyatso Lepcha [SSP, 51.66%]
|
Sonam Chyoda Lepcha [SDF, 47.98%]
|
|
Lachen-Mangshila (BL)
|
Hishey Lachungpa [SDF, 59.55%]
|
Nedup Tshering Lachenpa [SSP, 40.10%]
|
|
Kabi Tingda (BL)
|
Thenlay Tshering Bhutia [SDF, 43.07%]
|
Thukchuk Lachungpa [INC, 30.11%]
|
|
Rakdong Tintek (BL)
|
Mingma Tshering Sherpa [SSP, 51.53%]
|
Danorbu Sherpa [SDF, 20.81%]
|
|
Martam (BL)
|
Dorjee Tshering Lepcha [SDF, 62.26%]
|
Nuk Tshering Bhutia [SSP, 36.30%]
|
|
Rumtek (BL)
|
Karma Tempo Namgyal Gyaltsen [SDF, 50.23%]
|
O.T. Bhutia [SSP, 47.97%]
|
|
Assam Lingjey (BL)
|
Tseten Tashi Bhutia [SDF, 31.68%]
|
Kunga Zangpo Bhutia [SSP, 43.77%]
|
|
Ranka (BL)
|
Tseten Dorjee Lepcha [SDF, 56.48%]
|
Pintso Chopel Lepcha [SSP, 42.05%]
|
|
Gangtok
|
Narendra Kumar Pradhan [SSP, 48.89%]
|
K.B. Gurung [SDF, 43.52%]
|
|
Sangha
|
Palden Lama [Indp, 66.35%]
|
Namkha Gyaltsen Lama [INC, 18.75%]
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