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 2004.
Elections 2004
Total number of voters: 2,81,937 [M: 1,45,738; F: 1,36,199]
Parties in the fray: Sikkim Democratic Front, Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad, Sikkim Sangram Parishad, Indian National Congress, CPI-M, and BJP.
Although there were more parties in the fray in 2004, the election was set-up as a two-way battle yet again between Chamling and Bhandari. Chamling led SDF to its most comprehensive victory thus far in as much as vote-share is concerned.
Voter Turnout: 79.23%
OUTCOME: The run-up to elections 2004 saw a rejuvenated Congress party in Sikkim. It acquired the Nar Bahadur Bhandari-led Sikkim Sangram Parishad through a merger and Mr. Bhandari was appointed the State Congress president. As the elections drew nearer, Congress won still more defections and the tempo of speculations and projections increased. This was an election of much drama with the nomination papers of three Congress candidates so amateurishly prepared that they failed scrutiny and one Congress candidate ditched his party and did not even file his nomination papers. Even before the state could go to poll, SDF was up 4/0. But Congress persevered and claims abounded of a silent wave. However, when the votes were counted, SDF had cornered 71.09% of the votes cast. Congress, in to which Nar Bahadur Bhandari had supposedly merged Sikkim Sangram Parishad in the run-up to the elections, invested a lot of effort in the campaign but came up drastically short with 26.13% of the votes and only one Sangha MLA who won when the SDF votes spilt on a confusion over the official candidate and an Independent. Interestingly, in this election, Sangha attracted the most number of candidates at 6. As for Mr. Bhandari, he lost from both constituencies he contested from – Gangtok and Central Pendam. He lost in 2009 as well and is not contesting in 2014. 2004 also saw the election debut of Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad, which although it did not do too well in the elections, ran an impressively passionate campaign. A decade since, SHRP has now merged with Congress. As for the final count, it 31/32 for SDF…
In today’s table, we have made a slight change, instead of vote-share, we have included actual votes won. So in [brackets] with the constituency name are the number of votes polled and with the candidates are the number of votes they bagged.
This is how Sikkim voted in 2004…
We hope our readers enjoy this exercise as much as we enjoyed putting it together. We present here, details of Election 2004.
Elections 2004
Total number of voters: 2,81,937 [M: 1,45,738; F: 1,36,199]
Parties in the fray: Sikkim Democratic Front, Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad, Sikkim Sangram Parishad, Indian National Congress, CPI-M, and BJP.
Although there were more parties in the fray in 2004, the election was set-up as a two-way battle yet again between Chamling and Bhandari. Chamling led SDF to its most comprehensive victory thus far in as much as vote-share is concerned.
Voter Turnout: 79.23%
OUTCOME: The run-up to elections 2004 saw a rejuvenated Congress party in Sikkim. It acquired the Nar Bahadur Bhandari-led Sikkim Sangram Parishad through a merger and Mr. Bhandari was appointed the State Congress president. As the elections drew nearer, Congress won still more defections and the tempo of speculations and projections increased. This was an election of much drama with the nomination papers of three Congress candidates so amateurishly prepared that they failed scrutiny and one Congress candidate ditched his party and did not even file his nomination papers. Even before the state could go to poll, SDF was up 4/0. But Congress persevered and claims abounded of a silent wave. However, when the votes were counted, SDF had cornered 71.09% of the votes cast. Congress, in to which Nar Bahadur Bhandari had supposedly merged Sikkim Sangram Parishad in the run-up to the elections, invested a lot of effort in the campaign but came up drastically short with 26.13% of the votes and only one Sangha MLA who won when the SDF votes spilt on a confusion over the official candidate and an Independent. Interestingly, in this election, Sangha attracted the most number of candidates at 6. As for Mr. Bhandari, he lost from both constituencies he contested from – Gangtok and Central Pendam. He lost in 2009 as well and is not contesting in 2014. 2004 also saw the election debut of Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad, which although it did not do too well in the elections, ran an impressively passionate campaign. A decade since, SHRP has now merged with Congress. As for the final count, it 31/32 for SDF…
In today’s table, we have made a slight change, instead of vote-share, we have included actual votes won. So in [brackets] with the constituency name are the number of votes polled and with the candidates are the number of votes they bagged.
This is how Sikkim voted in 2004…
fotoCaption: Elections 2004 was the first Assembly election covered by NOW! This is
what the edition dated 14 May 2004 announcing the results looked like.
|
Constituency
|
Winner [with party and vote share in brackets]
|
Runner-up [with party and vote share in brackets]
|
|
Yuksom
[6,481]
|
Kalawati Subba [SDF, 3,947]
|
Mangalbir Subba [INC, 2,427]
|
|
Tashiding (BL)
[5,372]
|
Dawa Norbu Takarpa [SDF, 3,509]
|
Sonam Dadul Kazi [INC, 1,778]
|
|
Geyzing
[6,770]
|
Sher Bahadur Subedi [SDF, 4,227]
|
Dal Bahadur Gurung [INC, 2,410]
|
|
Dentam
[6,356]
|
Deepak Kumar Gurung [SDF, 4,158]
|
Sher Hang Subba [INC, 2,093]
|
|
Barmiok
[5,602]
|
Narendra Kumar Subba [SDF, 4,029]
|
Puspak Ram Subba [INC, 1,479]
|
|
Rinchenpong (BL)
[6,500]
|
Dawcho Lepcha [SDF, 5,303]
|
Pema Kinzang Bhutia [INC, 1,061]
|
|
Chakung
[7,098]
|
Prem Singh Tamang [SDF, 6,702]
|
Satish Mohan Pradhan [INC, 201]
|
|
Soreong
[7,644]
|
Ram Bahadur Subba [SDF, 5,553]
|
Ashok Kumar Subba [INC, 1,871]
|
|
Daramdin
[7,322]
|
Ran Bahadur Subba [SDF, 6,380]
|
Amar Subba [INC, 819]
|
|
Jorthang-Nayabazar [9,623]
|
Kedar Nath Rai [SDF, 7,863]
|
Purna Kumari Rai [INC, 1,536]
|
|
Ralong (BL)
[5,343]
|
Dorjee Dazom Bhutia [SDF, 4,131]
|
Chozang Bhutia [INC, 1,212]
|
|
Wak
|
Chandra Bahadur Karki [SDF,
uncontested]
|
|
|
Damthang
|
Pawan Chamling [SDF, uncontested]
|
|
|
Melli
|
Girish Chandra Rai [SDF, uncontested]
|
|
|
Rateypani-West Pendam (SC) [7,852]
|
Aita Singh Barailly [SDF, 6,553]
|
Janga Bir Darnal [INC, 1,170]
|
|
Temi-Tarku
[8,467]
|
Garjaman Gurung [SDF, 6,403]
|
Laxmi Prasad Tiwari [INC, 1,947]
|
|
Central Pendam-East Pendam
[9,507]
|
Somnath Poudyal [SDF, 5,620]
|
Nar Bahadur Bhandari [INC, 2,165]
|
|
Rhenock
[6,159]
|
Bhim Pd. Dhungel [SDF, 4,647]
|
Kharananda Upreti [INC, 1,354]
|
|
Regu
[6,718]
|
Karna Bahadur Chamling [SDF, 5,662]
|
Arun Kumar Rai [INC, 1,056]
|
|
Pathing (BL)
[7,313]
|
Mingma Tshering Sherpa [SDF, 4,930]
|
Tseten Tashi Bhutia [INC, 2,275]
|
|
Loosing-Pacheykhani
[6,126]
|
Manita Thapa [SDF, 4,394]
|
Bharat Basnet [INC, 1,651]
|
|
Khamdong (SC)
[8,259]
|
Birkha Man Ramudamu [SDF, 6,160]
|
Santosh Kumar Bardewa [INC, 1,929]
|
|
Djongu (BL)
[5,118]
|
Sonam Gyatso Lepcha [SDF, 3,344]
|
Sonam Chyoda Lepcha [INC, 1,774]
|
|
Lachen-Mangshila (BL) [6,493]
|
Hishey Lachungpa [SDF, 4,906]
|
Anil Lachenpa [INC, 1,587]
|
|
Kabi Tingda (BL)
|
Thenlay Tshering Bhutia [SDF,
uncontested]
|
|
|
Rakdong Tintek (BL) [6,158]
|
Norzong Lepcha [SDF, 3,809]
|
Phuchung Bhutia [INC, 2,116]
|
|
Martam (BL)
[7,614]
|
Dorjee Tshering Lepcha [SDF, 5,668]
|
Sonam Tashi Bhutia [INC, 1,946]
|
|
Rumtek (BL)
[9,962]
|
Menlom Lepcha [SDF, 5,639]
|
Delay Namgyal Barfungpa [INC, 4,323]
|
|
Assam Lingjey (BL)
[7,165]
|
Kunga Zangpo Bhutia [SDF, 4,641]
|
Kunga Nima Lepcha [INC, 2,415]
|
|
Ranka (BL)
[8,430]
|
Nimthit Lepcha [SDF, 5,083]
|
Pintso Chopel Lepcha [INC, 3,230]
|
|
Gangtok
[8,925]
|
Narendra Kumar Pradhan [SDF, 5,952]
|
Nar Bahadur Bhandari [INC, 2,829]
|
|
Sangha [2,088]
|
Tshering Lama [INC, 675]
|
Palden Lama [INC, 587]
|
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