Sikkim Assembly Election 2024 Date: The Election Commission announced on Saturday, March 15, the schedule for assembly polls in Sikkim. Elections will be held in Sikkim on April 19, and the counting of votes will take place on June 4.
The Chief Election Commissioner of India, Rajiv Kumar, along with newly appointed Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, made the announcement of poll dates at a press conference held at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi.
Current Political Landscape in Sikkim
Presently, Sikkim is governed by the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), with Prem Singh Tamang serving as the Chief Minister. The upcoming Sikkim Assembly Elections in 2024 will elect 32 members for the Legislative Assembly, as the tenure of the current legislative assembly is scheduled to end on June 2, 2024.
The Present Scenario
The SKM holds sway over 17 constituencies within the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang (P.S. Golay) leads the charge for the party. Notable constituencies under SKM's leadership include Yoksam-Tashiding, Yangthang, Gyalshing-Barnyak, and Poklok-Kamrang. Other constituencies like Daramdin, Soreng-Chakung, Salghari-Zoom, Namthang-Rateypani, and Temi-Namphing are also under SKM's leadership.
Recap of Sikkim Assembly Elections
The 10th Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections took place on April 11, 2019, alongside the Lok Sabha elections. The contest primarily featured the SKM and the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF). Despite the SDF's dominance in Sikkim for 25 years, it secured 15 seats in the election, while the SKM emerged victorious with 17 seats, granting them a simple majority. Consequently, Prem Singh Tamang (P.S. Golay) of the SKM assumed office as the Chief Minister of Sikkim. Other parties like the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC), and the Hamro Sikkim Party also contested but did not win any seats.