SDF makes clean sweep of South and West districts

NAMCHI, 16 May: Sikkim Democratic Front secured its march into its fifth straight term in office in Sikkim with a clean sweep of South and West Districts, snapping up all 16 constituencies in the two districts and reaching the halfway mark from this stronghold alone. Among the big losers for Sikkim Krantikari Morcha from South Sikkim was the SKM president PS Tamang who lost to SDF’s Tilu Gurung from Namthang-Rateypani constituency. SDF president, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, won from both the constituencies he contested from - Namchi-Singithang and Yangang Rangang. Several SDF veterans make a comeback to the Legislative Assembly from the two districts and it some debutantes of the party have also recorded impressive victories here.

SDF’s victory march in South Sikkim started with Berfung constituency where three-time Minister DD Bhutia was returning after a one-term layoff. His victory was never in doubt and he swept up the constituency handsomely for SDF, winning by a margin of 3,127 votes. Of the 10,211 votes poleld here, Mr. Bhutia received 6,639 and his closest rival, SKM’s Pema Wangyal Bhutia managed 3,460. Congress got less than the NOTA votes here.

Poklok-Kamrang, the constituency which Mr. Chamling represented in the last term and relinquished this time for his close aide KN Rai, was set up as a keen contest because it had SKM founder-member and former SDF MLA Bhojraj Rai in the fray. This however proved an easy win for SDF with Mr. KN Rai cruising into victory with a handsome margin of 4,671 votes. This is a big constituency, and of the 11,655 votes cast, SDF received 7,996 while the SKM candidate bagged 3,325. Here again, the NOTA votes [178] came third, ahead of Congress whose candidate received 115 votes.

It was Namchi-Singithang which threw up a keen contest with for its 8,722 votes. The SDF president won by a margin of 1,084 votes getting 4,774 against SKM’s Milan Rai’s 3,690 votes. The Congress candidate here, Khush Bahadur Rai, got 92 votes while 112 voters took the NOTA option.

The sitting MLA from Melli, Tulshi Devi Rai, expectedly won with a huge margin of 4,249 votes against SKM’s Prem Karki. Ms. Rai received 7,655 votes against Mr. Karki’s 3,406 votes. The Congress candidate MB Rai got 132 votes while 178 votes were polled under NOTA.

Namthang-Rateypani, the constituency which was the focus of the South Sikkim battle, had seen 11,093 votes polled. The SDF candidate here, Tilu Gurung, led all rounds and beat SKM party president PS Tamang [Golay] by a margin of 1,155 votes. She snapped up 5,947 votes against Mr. Tamang’s 4,792 votes.

The SKM rout in South Sikkim continued with Temi-Namphing handing over a respectable victory to SDF’s GM Gurung. Of the 10,275 votes cast here, Mr. Gurung received 5,507 while SKM’s Lalit Sharma came second with 4,107.

Yangang-Rangang, the Chief Minister’s home constituency from where Mr. Chamling was contesting for the first time, secured a comfortable victory for the CM, providing him a victory margin of 3,142 votes from the 9,976 votes polled. Mr. Chamling received 6,343 votes against SKM’s Bikash Basnet’s 3,201.

Tumin-Lingee, the eighth constituency of South Sikkim is a big one with 11,578 votes cast. SDF candidate, its chief whip, Ugen T. Gyatso Bhutia, secured victory with 7,191 votes against the 3,991 of his closest rival, SKM’s Nedup Lepcha.

Speaking with this correspondent, DD Bhutia who emerged victorious from Berfung said, “Now that we have won this election, I want to carry on the ongoing developmental works of the SDF government in the constituency. I would like to thank the people of Berfung constituency for having faith in me.”

KN Rai, similarly said that he will now work with full commitment to fulfill all the promises made to the people during the campaign and will work to made Poklok-Kamrang a model constituency of the state. He gave the credit of his victory to the party workers and party supporters. “I am only a means, people have trusted SDF party and this victory is the victory of the people,” he said.

Ugen T. Gyatso, in turn, said that with this victory contributing to SDF’s overall victory in Sikkim, truth has won over propaganda. He thanked all the party supporters and party workers who made this victory possible.

All the candidate were provided with the certificate by the Returning officer South Pravakar Verma.