Sikkim: Pawan Chamling Last SDF MLA Standing After 2 MLAs Defect to Rival SKM Party

Gangtok, August 14, 2019:

In yet another politically significant development in Sikkim, two MLAs from the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), GT Dhungel and Em Prasad have joined hands with the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) here today. Now, SDF supremo Pawan Kumar Chamling remains the only SDF legislator

This development comes barely a day after ten SDF members, led by former Minister DT Lepcha, joined  BJP party. The MLAs had earlier met BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav, who formally inducted them into the saffron party yesterday.

It may be mentioned that there has been a dramatic change in the political scenario of Sikkim in the wake of the 2019 Assembly elections in the State as the PS Golay led SKM were able to upset the longest-serving Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, who had been reigning as CM for twenty-five years.

Meanwhile, 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.

Meanwhile, the Sikkim Progressive Youth Forum has slammed the SDF legislators for joining hands with the BJP. The youth organization said in a statement that, "We strongly condemn the recent horse-trading that took place between the MLAs of SDF and BJP in Delhi today. It is a clear betrayal of people's mandate. People of Sikkim were never ever in the favour of BJP is clear from the fact that the BJP had recieved only 1.63% of the total vote share in the recently held general and assembly elections in the state, where despite of fighting in all the seats it lost its deposits in all the constituencies. However, the SDF MLAs by indulging in the horse trading has given them 10 legislators in the state Assembly."

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