By Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati : Big Win for BJP as All 10 MLAs From Sikkim Democratic Front Join Party. The 10 MLAs joined the party in the presence of BJP working president JP Nadda and general secretary Ram Madhav.After 25 years of a relatively peaceful reign under Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) under Pawan Chamling, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) managed to eke out a slim majority in the Assembly Elections. The SKM won 17 Seats (compared to 15 won by the SDF) and Pawan Singh Chamling, AKA PS Golay was subsequently sworn in as CM. However, if sources are to be believed, the SKM might not be able to hang onto the fortress for long. The SKM might be in power for the moment, but the main opposition, the SDF, is not behind. As things currently stand, the SKM has 16 MLAs, whereas the SDF has 13 MLAs. Out of 32 seats, 17 seats were won by the SKM, but one of. Present HRD Minister K N Lepcha had won from two assembly constituencies.

SDF won 15 seats, and Pawan Chamling and D T Lepcha won two seats each. All these developments have necessitated 3 by-polls in the state in the upcoming months. Moreover, the current CM Golay is yet to prove his mettle as he must win an election within the next 6 months in order to hang onto the post of Chief Minister. Furthermore, Golay is still plagued by charges of corruption as the opposition has brought the charges against him yet again. However, things are headed for a shake-up as as many as ten SDF members are all set to join the BJP party. These MLAs, led by DT Lepcha, are already camped out in New Delhi under the leadership of former Minister D T Lepcha. It is to be mentioned that the MLAs had earlier met BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav. Meanwhile ,Extending its influence in the Northeast region, the BJP party has finally made its foray into Sikkim after as many as ten opposition MLAs belonging to the SDF party joined saffron unit. With this turn of events, the BJP has become the main opposition in the State, and now needs only four more MLAs to form the Government in Sikkim. Reacting to this, Ganesh Kumar Rai, the spokesperson of the SDF party, said, “Someone has rightly said that nothing is permanent but change.

Today’s news of 10 SDF MLAs joining the BJP is nothing unnatural, as the saffron party continues to bolster its ranks. They must have thought that at present, their joining the BJP is in the best interest of the state considering the present political scenerio of the state. My best wishes to them. We at SDF will continue to work for the state and leave no stone unturned to shoulder the responsibility of constructive opposition party”, he said. Pawan Kumar Chamling, the leader of the SDF, is one of the longest serving chief ministers of Sikkim and also of India. Under his leadership, the Sikkim Democratic Front won repeated assembly elections with significant majority. However, the PS Golay-led SKM managed to win the elections by winning 17 out of the 32 seats. Meanwhile, the Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, better known as PS Golay, has requested the Election Commission (EC) to waive off his disqualification from contesting polls, sources said on Monday, 29 July, as he needs to win an election within 6 months of being sworn in as Chief Minister.