2009 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election

The Sikkim Legislative Assembly election of 2009 took place in April 2009, concurrently with the 2009 Indian general election. The elections were held in the state for all 32 legislative assembly seats along with the third phase of 2009 Indian general elections on 30 April 2009. The results were declared on 5 May 2009. The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) further strengthened their majority in the Sikkim Assembly by winning all the seats. Incumbent Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling's Government returned for an unprecedented fourth consecutive term having won previous elections in 1994, 1999, and 2004.

2009 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election

← 2004 30 April 2009 2014 →

All 32 seats in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly
17 seats needed for a majority
Turnout83.78%[1]
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Pawan Kumar Chamling Nar Bahadur Bhandari
Party SDF INC
Alliance UPA UPA
Leader since 1994
Leader's seat Poklok–Kamrang Soreng–Chakung, Tumin–Lingee (both lost)
Last election 31 1
Seats won 32 0
Seat change Increase 1 Decrease 1
Popular vote 165,991 69,612
Percentage 65.91% 27.64%
Swing Decrease 5.18% Increase 1.51%


Chief Minister before election

Pawan Kumar Chamling
SDF

Elected Chief Minister

Pawan Kumar Chamling
SDF

Previous Assembly

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In the 2004 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election, the SDF almost had a clean-sweep winning 31 of the 32 seats in the state. Congress was the only other party to win any seats, winning the Sangha seat that is reserved for the monks and nuns of Sikkim's many monasteries. P.K. Chamling led SDF had already formed the previous two Governments in Sikkim having first formed the Government after the 1994 election, when they won 19 seats within a year of the party being formed),[2] and then again after the 1999 election, when they increased their tally to 24 seats.[3] Chamling's third term began on May 21, 2004, when he and his 11cabinate ministers were sworn in by the then Governor of Sikkim V. Rama Rao.[4]

Background

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With the tenure of the Sikkim Assembly scheduled to expire on 23 May 23, 2009, the Election Commission of India announced[5] on 2 March 2009, that the elections to the Sikkim Assembly would be held at the same time as the general election. Sikkim voted in the third phase of the 5-phase national election.

Though SDF had provided external support to Manmohan Singh's Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre since 2004, the SDF and Congress were the main political opponents in Sikkim. Ironically, the Congress was led in the state by Nar Bahadur Bhandari, mentor and former colleague of Chamling.

In this election UDF was formed by coalition of BJP, INC and few other parties, which was thrown into disarray with its constituents appearing to go separate.

Schedule of election

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Poll Event Dates
Announcement & Issue of Press Note Monday, 02 Mar 2009
Issue of Notification Thursday, 02 Apr 2009
Last Date for filing Nominations Thursday, 09 Apr 2009
Scrutiny of Nominations Friday, 10 Apr 2009
Last date for withdrawal of Candidature Monday, 13 Apr 2009
Date of Poll Thursday, 30 Apr 2009
Counting of Votes on Saturday, 16 May 2009
Date of election being completed Saturday, 23 May 2009
Constituencies Polling on this day 32
Source: Election Commission of India[5]
 
Location of Sikkim in India

Parties and candidates

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Party Type Code Party Name Number of
candidates
Total
National Parties BJP Bharatiya Janata Party 11 57
CPM Communist Party of India (Marxist) 3
INC Indian National Congress 32
NCP Nationalist Congress Party 11
State Parties SDF Sikkim Democratic Front 32 32
Unrecognised or
Unregistered Parties
SGPP Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party 27 53
SHRP Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad 20
SJEP Sikkim Jan-Ekta Party 6
Independents n/a Independents 25 25
Total: 167
Source: Election Commission of India[6]

Results

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The SDF went from strength to strength and this time won even the single seat that had eluded them in 2004. With a clean sweep of all 32 seats in the state, Chamling was sworn in for his fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister by Governor B.P. Singh at the Gangtok Raj Bhawan on May 20, 2009. This Government included Neeru Sewa and Tilu Gurung who became the first ever women Cabinet ministers in Sikkim.

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Sikkim Democratic Front165,99165.9132+1
Indian National Congress69,61227.640–1
Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad5,5162.1900
Sikkim Gorkha Prajatantrik Party2,9091.160New
Bharatiya Janata Party1,9660.7800
Nationalist Congress Party1,0650.420New
Sikkim Jan-Ekta Party4970.200New
Communist Party of India (Marxist)2720.1100
Independents4,0231.6000
Total251,851100.00320
Valid votes251,85199.65
Invalid/blank votes8850.35
Total votes252,736100.00
Registered voters/turnout300,58484.08
Source: CEO Sikkim

Results by constituency

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  • Winner, runner-up, voter turnout, and victory margin in every constituency[7]
Assembly Constituency Turnout Winner Runner Up Margin
#k Names % Candidate Party Votes % Candidate Party Votes %
1 Yoksam–Tashiding 86.94% Dawcho Lepcha SDF 5,909 71.75% Aden Tshering Lepcha INC 1,666 20.23% 4,243
2 Yangthang 85.99% Prem Lall Subba SDF 5,770 73.19% Depan Hang Limbu INC 1,545 19.6% 4,225
3 Maneybong–Dentam 86.75% Chandra Maya Subba SDF 6,252 71.99% Laxuman Gurung INC 1,899 21.87% 4,353
4 Gyalshing–Barnyak 84.32% Man Bahadur Dahal SDF 4,967 68.13% Youa Raj Rai INC 1,557 21.36% 3,410
5 Rinchenpong 86.96% Dawa Norbu Takarpa SDF 6,438 72.69% Pema Kinzang Bhutia INC 2,145 24.22% 4,293
6 Daramdin 84.83% Tenzi Sherpa SDF 6,507 68.97% Pem Nuri Sherpa INC 1,807 19.15% 4,700
7 Soreng–Chakung 84.62% Ram Bahadur Subba SDF 6,497 66.5% Nar Bahadur Bhandari INC 2,378 24.34% 4,119
8 Salghari–Zoom 84.62% Madan Cintury SDF 4,437 65.14% Janga Bir Darnal INC 2,139 31.4% 2,298
9 Barfung 85.78% Sonam Gyatso Bhutia SDF 6,049 70.35% Lobzang Bhutia INC 2,197 25.55% 3,852
10 Poklok–Kamrang 86.32% Pawan Kumar Chamling SDF 7,379 80.68% Purna Kumari Rai INC 1,423 15.56% 5,956
11 Namchi–Singhithang 76.84% Pawan Kumar Chamling SDF 5,653 80.97% Khush Bahadur Rai INC 1,009 14.45% 4,644
12 Melli 83.83% Tulshi Devi Rai SDF 6,307 67.48% Dil Kri. Chhetri INC 2,454 26.25% 3,853
13 Namthang–Rateypani 82.7% Tilu Gurung SDF 5,988 65.76% Suk Bahadur Tamang INC 2,777 30.5% 3,211
14 Temi–Namphing 84.96% Bedu Singh Panth SDF 4,577 52.14% Lalit Sharma INC 2,837 32.32% 1,740
15 Rangang–Yangang 85.44% Chandra Bdr Karki SDF 5,558 68.24% Avinash Yakha INC 2,361 28.99% 3,197
16 Tumin–Lingee 84.9% Ugyen Tshering Gyatso Bhutia SDF 5,026 55.33% Phuchung Bhutia INC 3,702 40.75% 1,324
17 Khamdong–Singtam 84.24% Am Prasad Sharma SDF 4,298 56.37% Nar Bahadur Bhandari INC 3,032 39.76% 1,266
18 West Pendam 82.94% Neeru Sewa SDF 4,151 53.53% Jagdish Cintury INC 3,088 39.82% 1,063
19 Rhenock 84.97% Bhim Prasad Dhungel SDF 5,611 53.72% Kedar Nath Sharma INC 4,168 39.9% 1,443
20 Chujachen 83.92% Puran Kumar Gurung SDF 8,077 74.35% Harka Raj Gurung INC 2,114 19.46% 5,963
21 Gnathang–Machong 85.78% L.M. Lepcha SDF 4,077 58.59% Chhopel Dzongpo Bhutia SHRP 1,677 24.1% 2,400
22 Namchaybong 86.49% Bek Bahadur Rai SDF 5,877 63.37% Em Prasad Sharma INC 2,954 31.85% 2,923
23 Shyari 81.51% Karma Tempo Namgyal Gyaltsen SDF 5,034 63.15% Kunga Nima Lepcha INC 2,753 34.54% 2,281
24 Martam–Rumtek 85.29% Menlom Lepcha SDF 6,392 64.04% Rinzing Namgyal INC 3,027 30.33% 3,365
25 Upper Tadong 78.07% Dil Bahadur Thapa SDF 3,148 56.% Arun Kumar Basnet INC 2,105 37.45% 1,043
26 Arithang 73.65% Narendra Kumar Pradhan SDF 3,320 60.95% Bharat Basnett INC 1,865 34.24% 1,455
27 Gangtok 70.38% Dorjee Namgyal Bhutia SDF 3,506 61.18% Tshering Gyatso Kaleon INC 1,928 33.64% 1,578
28 Upper Burtuk 82.48% Prem Singh Tamang SDF 5,908 78.63% Arun Kumar Rai INC 1,345 17.9% 4,563
29 Kabi–Lungchok 85.36% Thenlay Tshering Bhutia SDF 4,823 64.46% Ugen Nedup Bhutia INC 2,659 35.54% 2,164
30 Djongu 89.79% Sonam Gyatso Lepcha SDF 4,756 79.97% Norden Tshering Lepcha INC 819 13.77% 3,937
31 Lachen–Mangan 89.48% Tshering Wangdi Lepcha SDF 2,719 53.3% Anil Lachenpa INC 1,940 38.03% 779
32 Sangha 64.75% Phetook Tshering Bhutia SDF 980 49.49% Tshering Lama INC 925 46.72% 55

See also

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References

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  1. ^ SDF is being marked as part of UPA for the purpose of this Infobox since they provide support to the UPA Government at the centre. However, they are not officially part of the UPA and did not fight the Sikkim election alongside the UPA "All my State wants is justice: Chamling". The Hindu. 20 May 2009. Archived from the original on 24 May 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  2. ^ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1994 to the Legislative Assembly of Sikkim" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  3. ^ "Statistical Report on General Election, 1999 to the Legislative Assembly of Sikkim" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 April 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  4. ^ Dam, Marcus (21 May 2009). "Will strive to remove urban, rural disparities: Chamling". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 2 July 2004. Retrieved 28 October 2009.
  5. ^ a b "General Elections to Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim" (PDF). Election Commission of India. 2 March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  6. ^ "Statistical Report on General Election, 2009 to the Legislative Assembly of Sikkim" (PDF). eci.nic.in. Election Commission of India. 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2014.
  7. ^ "Statistical Report on General Election, 2009 to the Legislative Assembly of Sikkim" (PDF). Election Commission of India. Archived from the original (pdf) on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2024.