Golay’s party today, supporters continue quitting SDF to be at Singling

GANGTOK, 03 Feb: Rebel SDF legislator Prem Singh Tamang [Golay] is expected to formally announce his own regional political outfit at Singling in West Sikkim on Monday. With the party announcement lined up, his supporters still in the Sikkim Democratic Front have begun tendering their resignations. In this series of resignations, Prahalad Bhattarai and Tara Prasad Bhattarai of Namcheybong constituency also quit SDF on Saturday. It is informed that Mr. Bhattarai was a CEC member and Tara Prasad Bhattarai has a primary membership.
Similarly, Chewang Dadul Bhutia of Arithang constituency also submitted his resignation from both of his active and ordinary posts from the SDF party. It is informed that he joined the party on 03 April 2004. There have also been some resignations from Jortehang, the Golay camp informs.
Meanwhile, according to close aides of Mr. Tamang, 04 Feb was recommended as the best astrological date for the formation of the new party. The party, it may be recalled was supposed to have been launched last October, but kept getting postponed. There is no turning back for the promoters of the new party any more since formal invitations have already been sent out along with public appeals. What remains to be see however is the composition of the new outfit and what position Mr. Tamang will take in it.
Sources inform that the party’s flag and central executive committee members will be announced on Monday, along with issues that the party plans to take up immediately.
A close aide of Mr. Tamang further informs that the party will maintain one-person, one-post rule and that the constitution has also been drafted in the same lines. It is learnt that a ‘strong step’ against the proposed repeal of Registration of Companies (Sikkim) Act 1961 will be announced on Monday as well.
Sources further inform that the constitution-level branches of the new party were to be established simultaneously, however, since supporters from different areas were keen to attend the party announcement function at Singling, this has been withheld for two days.

Namkha announces plans to quit SDF in support of Golay

FORMER OBC BOARD CHAIRPERSON BHARATI SHARMA EXPLAINS WHY SHE RESIGNED FROM RULING PARTY
GANGTOK, 01 Feb: The sequence of resignations from the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front in the run-up to the 04 February launch of dissident MLA PS Tamang’s political party continued today with former Minister Namkha Gyaltsen announcing that he too would be tendering his resignation from the SDF.
A three time Sangha MLA, Mr. Gyaltsen joined the SDF in February 2004. He was the Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee president at the time. He was first elected as a Sangha MLA on a Sikkim Sangram Parishad ticket and served as a Minister for 6 months in 1994 during the Congress government of Sanchaman Limboo.
Addressing a press conference today, Mr Gyaltsen alleged that SDF and its government had become a ‘one man show’ and delivered an ‘autocratic government’, which was why he decided to leave the party. He said that there was a ‘need for change’ in Sikkim now and believes that the medium for this change will come on 04 February in the form of new party of the PS Tamang [Golay].
Also today, four more active members of the ruling party submitted their resignations at the party headquarters. They are: Babita Chettri, Junu Chettri, Linus Lepcha and Jyoti Gurung.
Earlier last week, former OBC Board chairperson, Bharati Sharma, who was a CEC member of the ruling party, also quit the SDF. Addressing a press conference today, she said that the Chief Minister, who is also the SDF party president has been working against the principles and policies of the party.
Ms Sharma resigned from the party on 21 January and today announced support for the new party of the dissident MLA.
She accused the CM of playing divide and rule politics and made specific reference to the Chettri, Bahun and Newar communities still awaiting inclusion in the Central OBC list. The three communities were included as OBC in the State in the year 2003.
“When I was OBC chairperson I asked the CM to speak to the centre to include these communities in the central list but was ignored,” she alleged. Ms Sharma further alleged that the Sanyasi community which was included in the central OBC list in 1999 were shortchanged when the State government superseded this notification by including Sanyasi in the state OBC list along with Chettri, Bahun and Newar in 2003.
On women’s empowerment, she alleged that the ruling party turned to it women cadre only to defend the CM and pointed out that Sikkim has received only seven women legislators through the SDF tenure in power and not sent even one to the Parliament.

Expelled SDF dissidents condemn CM’s recent statement

GANGTOK, 24 June: The expelled group of ruling Sikkim Democratic Front has condemned and criticized the statement of the Chief Minister who is also the party president that a ‘vested interest’ group was defaming the party. 
Former SDF Minister, Tseten Lepcha, while speaking to reporters here today, demanded that the SDF party president resign from the party’s top post and allow one-man, one-post principle to operate in the party if he was true supporter of democratic practices. He further announced that their group is committed to overthrow the SDF Government in the next Assembly elections.
“Nowadays, SDF has become Pawan Chamling’s private company, indulging purely in business instead of governing the state of Sikkim,” alleged Pawan Gurung.
Another expelled SDF member, Nima Theeng, in turn added that circumstances and time had forced SDF’s Upper Burtuk MLA, Prem Singh Tamang, and his group to act against the ‘authoritarian rule’ of the Chief Minister.
When asked about the Upper Burtuk MLA’s reported decision to attend the Budget Session after having stayed away for more than two and a half years, Mr. Gurung said, “Let’s see what step he will take in the floor of the Assembly. It will speak volumes about what is in store for Sikkimese people, especially the next generation”.

PS Tamang tours Gnathang-Machong and Rhenock constituencies

GANGTOK, 08 Dec: Continuing his East Sikkim tour, the disgruntled SDF MLA from Upper Burtuk, PS Tamang [Golay], met and interacted with the people of Machong under Gnathang-Machong constituency and at Mamring, Phadamchey and Bhasmey under Rhenock constituency today.

Golay holds meeting at Aho; tension brews as SDF and Golay supporters exchange slogans

GANGTOK, 07 Dec: Prem Singh Tamang [Goley], the dissident SDF MLA from Upper Burtuk constituency, began a tour of East Sikkim today with an indoor meeting at a private residence at Aho, under Ranipool police station jurisdiction, for which, it is informed, around 200 people, a sizeable number of whom, it is learnt, were from other parts of Sikkim, had gathered.

Eight Rateypani residents resign from the SDF party

GANGTOK, 01 Dec: A group of 8 people claiming to be SDF party supporters from Rateypani under Namthang Constituency have resigned from the party, alleging the present government of ‘undemocratic practice’.  

SDF dismisses claims of 67 Daramdin families quitting party

GANGTOK, 29 Nov: The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front has condemned claims circulated through press releases issued by the former Daramdin panchayat president, Jacob Khaling, contending the resignation by 67 families of Daramdin constituency from the SDF party.

67 families quit SDF in Daramdin

GANGTOK, 27 Nov: 67 families under Daramdim Constituency resigned from the SDF party today in a meeting held at one DB Subba’s house chaired by Man Bir Subba, informs a press release issued by the former panchayat, Chumbung, Jacob Khaling.

Former MP calls for opposition parties to unite

GANGTOK, 21 Nov: Former SDF MP, Nakul Das Rai, has expressed that the time has come for all opposition parties to come together with public concern in mind to spread political awareness among the masses and “demolish the myth” that “only the SDF party has potential to form a government”, informs a press release.

SDF workers from Namthang-Rateypani dismiss media reports of having welcomed Goley to constituency

NAMCHI, 02 June: SDF party supporters from Namthang-Rateypani constituency have condemned recent media reports suggesting that SDF workers of the constituency had “welcomed and supported” dissident MLA PS Tamang’s visit to the constituency on 30 May.
Addressing a press conference here today, a group of SDF workers from the area clarified that Mr. Tamang, accompanied by former MLA Bhoj Raj Rai and other supporters, had visited the area to offer condolences to a family on the death of one of its members.
The party workers also retaliated to a comment attributed to Mr. Tamang as referring to the area MLA, Buildings & Housing Minister Tilu Gurung, as an ‘outsider’. The SDF party workers held her up as a ‘daughter of Sikkim’ and contended that compared to other constituencies [like Mr. Tamang’s Burtuk] Ms. Gurung has in fact worked among the people and brought about “massive development” to the constituency.
Responding to Mr. Tamang’s call for ‘change’, as some news-reports had conveyed, the SDF workers contended that the present government under Chief Minister, Pawan Chamling has brought about the ‘real change’ and established ‘full-fledged democracy’ in the state.

Former panchayat challenges Minister’s claims on Singling incident

GANGTOK, 27 March: A former Panchayat, Jacob Khaling, has rejected the statement issued by Road & Bridges Minister, RB Subba, as “very unfortunate”, alleging that the Minister cannot deny his involvement in the Singling outburst of violence.
A press release issued by Mr. Khaling demands that it the Minister give his clarification to the police and to the courts and not to the media. He has further demanded to know why the state police was delaying in effecting the arrest of the Minister in connection with the Singling incident.

SDF welcomes Golay’s resignation from Chairman’s posts, expects him to quit as MLA as well

GANGTOK: The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front has welcomed the resignation tendered by PS Tamang [Golay], MLA Upper Burtuk from the post of Chairman, Commerce and Industries Development Board of the Government of Sikkim. [click here for details]
The party, in a press release issued by general secretary TN Sharma, conveys that it was now expecting Mr. Tamang’s resignation from the MLA post as well, since although elected from an SDF ticket, he was now involved in anti-party activities.

Singling youth counter SDF claims

GANGTOK, 21 March: A joint press release issued by one Dinak Pandey on behalf of the “youth from Singling”, West Sikkim, and circulated by former SDF panchayat and now part of the disaffected group, Jacob Rai, has alleged that instead of punishing the culprits, the Sikkim Democratic Front government was working to protect and cover-up for the accused. The reference is to the Singling violence of last Friday.
The release further alleges that the government was trying to protect the Minister [RB Subba], countering that this was unfortunate because it was the Minister who ordered the assault on a Singling youth which led to the collapse of the law and order situation in this West Sikkim hamlet under the Soreng-Chakung constituency.
The release adds that in the light of the government’s response, people are now beginning to feel that they will have to look out for their security and protection on their own.

3 SDF party workers from Jorethang quit party and express support for PS Tamang

GANGTOK, 28 Feb: Three SDF party workers who introduce themselves as the  president and vice-president of the Sikkim Democratic Front’s Jorethang ward no.4 unit, Bandhan Tamang and Ramey Gurung, and assistant secretary of Jorethang ward no. 3 unit, John Subba, have resigned from their respective posts and primary membership of the party.
A joint press release issued by them informs of their resignation and extends support to the SDF dissident MLA, PS Tamang. They have rejected Zoom-Salghari MLA, Madan Cintury's, leadership and accused him of nepotism and proclaimed Mr. Tamang as a leader who could deliver.