Panchayat nomination filing process gets unpleasant hiccup with SBS half-yearly closing

ELECTION COMMISSION INTERVENES, BANK OPENS FOR BUSINESS

GANGTOK, 01 Oct: With aspiring candidates of the Panchayat polls already miffed at the short notice provided by the administration in filing their nominations, especially given the number of holidays the past week had, the closure of the State Bank of Sikkim today only aggravated their situation.
With the bank observing its half-yearly closing day today, many of the candidates who wanted to file their nominations today, the last day for doing so, were almost prevented from doing so as they were unable to get their TDRs from the State Bank of Sikkim. It was only after the State Election Commission intervened and spoke to the Managing Director, SBS, that the bank opened fits branches for the panchayat candidates who could then file their nominations.
As per reports, there was a big crowd outside the Sichey branch of the SBS here this morning. They had arrived to get their TDRs made in order to file their nominations for the panchayat elections. What they found was a bank closed for the day in observance of the half-yearly closing day.
The half-yearly closing day for banks falls on 29 Sept, but since that day was a holiday in Sikkim, SBS decided to observe it on 01 Oct instead [30 Sept was a Sunday]. Interestingly, banks normally take the half-yearly closing on the preceding day when the appointed day is a holiday. As per his norm, SBS should have been closed on 28 Sept, which also would have been inconvenient for panchayat aspirants. Taking this closing day today, allowed the bank a string of four straight days of holidays [with 02 Oct being Gandhi Jayanti, a national holiday].
If the bank and its branches had remained closed today, it would have definitely complicated matters, but things did not come to such a pass with the intervention of the State Election Commissioner following which the SBS opened its counters to accommodate the candidates.

Nomination filing process ends for Panchayat polls

District offices at the four district headquarter towns kept a hectic day today, the last date for filing of nomination papers for the panchayat polls called for 03 November, as they received a staggering number of panchayat hopefuls submitting their nomination papers with the respective DC’s. The nomination papers submitted, collating of the data kept the concerned officers busy till late in the evening, given the sheer number of submissions received through the week and on the final day today. The two-tier panchayat system in Sikkim has a total of 987 panchayat wards and 198 Zilla Territorial Constituencies and should all of them witness a contest, which is highly unlikely, some 2.65 lakh voters in rural Sikkim will get a chance to participate in the election process. With the scrutiny of nomination papers scheduled for 03 October and the final date for withdrawals set for 05 October, the final picture of the rural poll process will be known only on Friday evening. Till then, here is a rundown of how things stand as on the final day of filing nomination papers, today…

NAMCHI, 01 Oct [PURAN TAMANG]: Out of the 28 Zilla territorial constituencies in South Sikkim, 6 have only SDF candidates, booking these six territorial constituencies even before the last date for withdrawal of nomination forms for the panchayat poll process which usually throws up the final figures on areas which will see actual polling and which will post uncontested panchayat representatives. Today was the last date for filing of nomination forms for the panchayat polls called for 03 November.
Although the scrutiny of nomination forms is still due [scheduled for 03 October], going by the nomination filing status, the following territorial constituencies have only one candidate, all from SDF: Nagi Maneydara-Turung [Devi Maya Baraily], Mellidara-Turuk [Farwanti Tamang], Kitam Manpur [KN Pradhan], Assangthang [Tulashi Maya Mangar], Legship-Lamatar [Narmaya Chettri], Ralong-Borong [Tulsi Gurung].
A total of 71 nomination papers were filed for the 28 Zilla seats, 22 of which were by independent candidates and 49 by SDF candidates [six of whom are uncontested].
Meanwhile, the 271 Panchayat Wards have received a staggering 791 nomination papers. The high numbers notwithstanding, SDF is all set to see at least 136 of its candidates elected uncontested since these many wards have no other candidates except those with SDF tickets.
The remaining 135 panchayat wards have 127 independent candidates at present. The mismatch in the numbers is because many wards have more than one SDF candidate, thanks to the common practice of fielding dummy candidates until the scrutiny process is completed, and also the not rare practice of one candidate filing more than one nomination paper. SDF, as things stand, has 393 candidates for the 271 wards. A clearer picture on the final tally will emerge after the scrutiny on Wednesday and the last date for withdrawing nomination papers on 05 October.

GYALSHING, 01 Oct: On the completion of the nomination filing process today, the 28 Zilla Territorial Constituencies in West Sikkim have a total of 89 panchayat hopefuls with the number of independents slightly higher than those with SDF tickets.
As per data received from the DIO, West, 47 of the 89 nomination papers filed for the 28 Zilla Territorial Constituencies are by independent candidates, while those with SDF tickets are 42. The Darap-Chumbung Zilla Territorial Constituency has received the highest number of nomination papers at seven.
Meanwhile, the 317 Panchayat Wards in West Sikkim received nomination papers of 601 candidates, of whom 409 are SDF candidates and 192 are independent candidates.

GANGTOK, 01 Oct [IPR]: The 52 Gram Panchayat Units in East district have a total of 290 panchayat wards, and today, the last date for filing of nominations for the panchayat polls revealed an impressive stack of 730 nomination papers at the district office here.
Of the 730 nomination papers filed, 428 are by SDF candidates, 301 by independents and a solitary Congress candidate.
Meanwhile, the 32 Territorial Constituencies [Zilla Panchayat] in East District received the nomination papers of 109 candidates, 45 from the SDF, 62 Independents and 2 Congress candidates.

MANGAN, 01 Oct [WANGCHUK BHUTIA]: The details of the completion of the nomination filing process for North district could not be secured till the time of going to print. The status as of Saturday was that 129 candidates had filed nomination papers for the ward panchayats and 24 for the zilla territorial constituencies. Of the 129 candidates at the ward panchayat level, 88 are SDF candidates and 41 Independents. Meanwhile, the 24 nomination papers for zilla territorial constituencies have 17 SDF candidates and seven independents.

Golay convenes meeting at Makha, questions panchayat poll timing

GANGTOK, 24 Sept: Dissident SDF MLA, PS Tamang [Golay], addressed a public meeting at 10 Mile, Makha Bazaar, near Singtam today. The meeting, convened at LR Bhutia’s residence, saw Mr. Tamang contend that the youth who powered SDF in its initial years in 1992-93 have been ignored by the party and have not benefitted. The youthful years sacrificed by this section needs to be compensated by the party or else the party president, Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, should quit his chair.

Panchayat polls called for 03 Nov

GANGTOK, 24 Sept: Speculations over the Panchayat poll dates finally ended today with the Information & Public Relations Department informing that the State Election Commission today notified the dates for the panchayat polls. The fourth general election for the constitution of Gram Panchayats and Zilla Panchayats in Sikkim has been called for 03 November 2012. This puts the rural body elections between Dasain and Teohar, against earlier speculations that the poll will be held ahead of Dasain.
With the announcement of the dates, the Model Code of Conduct has also officially come into force from today onwards. A Circular issued by the State Election Commission Secretary, Gita Bhutia, details: “For conduct of free and fair election, the Model Code of Conduct is enforced w.e.f. 24th September, 2012. It is applicable throughout the State of Sikkim and it will remain in force till the election process is over.”
The last date for filing nomination papers is 01 October 2012, a Monday, followed by 03 Oct set as the date for scrutiny and the 05 Oct as the last date for withdrawal of candidatures. The polling, wherever necessary, will be held on 03 November [a Saturday] with 09 Nov set as the date “before which the election shall be completed”.
The State Election Commission has appealed to all political parties, contesting candidates and voters to “participate in the election process peacefully in keeping with the democratic tradition and in spirit of tolerance and non-violence”.