Sikkim Polls: SDF, CAP boycott April 24 civic elections alleging ‘unconstitutional’ process

The two main opposition parties in Sikkim—the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) and the Citizen Action Party (CAP)—have announced a boycott of the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for April 24, alleging an undemocratic environment under the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM).

SDF senior vice president and spokesperson Krishna Kharel said the proposed elections are “unconstitutional,” raising concerns over what he described as unequal and disproportionate seat reservations in the electoral process. He claimed that several “serious lapses” have emerged following the announcement of the polls, particularly in the allocation of reserved seats.

According to Kharel, the reservation framework does not reflect population proportions, thereby violating constitutional principles of equitable representation. He pointed out that OBC (central list), which constitutes 25.64% of the population, should have been allocated around 17–18 seats but has been given only eight. Similarly, OBC (state list), with a 21.89% population share, has been allotted 11 seats instead of the expected 14.

He further alleged that demographic realities of specific areas were ignored while assigning reservations, with constituencies having significant OBC populations being reserved for other categories, raising questions about the basis of such decisions.

Meanwhile, the CAP also announced its decision to boycott the urban local body elections, extending support to “qualified and capable” independent candidates across all 63 wards. CAP spokesperson Albert Gurung termed the conduct of the elections as partisan and accused the ruling SKM of betraying its 2019 manifesto promise.

The boycott by both opposition parties is likely to impact the electoral landscape in Sikkim’s civic polls, with the ruling SKM expected to face a largely uncontested contest in several urban wards.