2009 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election

Sikkim Assembly Elections 2009

30 April 2009
All 32 Assembly Constituencies
Turnout	83.78%
Majority party Minority party   Leader Pawan Kumar Chamling Nar Bahadur Bhandari Party Sikkim Democratic Front INC Alliance United Progressive Alliance United Progressive Alliance Leader since 1994 Leader's seat Poklok-kamrang none Last election 2004 2004 Seats before 31 1 Seats won 32 0 Seat change +1 -1 Popular vote 165,991 69,612 Percentage 65.91% 27.64% Swing -5.18% +1.51%
Sikkim District Map
CM before election Pawan Kumar Chamling Sikkim Democratic Front CM-elect Pawan Kumar Chamling Sikkim Democratic Front

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.

Previous Assembly

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), and then again after the 1999 election, when they increased their tally to 24 seats. 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.

Background

With the tenure of the Sikkim Assembly scheduled to expire on 23 May 23 2009, the Election Commission of India announced 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

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

Location of Sikkim in India

Parties and candidates

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

Results

Government formation

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.

Party		No. of candidates	No. of elected	No. of votes	%
	Bharatiya Janata Party	11	0	1966	0.78%
	Communist Party of India (Marxist)	3	0	272	0.11%
	Indian National Congress	32	0	69612	27.64%
	Sikkim Democratic Front	32	32	165991	65.91%
	Sikkim Democratic Front	20	0	5516	2.19%
	Nationalist Congress Party	11	0	1065	0.42%
	Independent	16	0	3450	1.37%
	SGPP	27	0	2909	1.16%
	SJEP	6	0	497	0.2%
Total:		167	32	251851

Number of seats

Party	Flag	Seats Won	Seats Change	Popular Vote	Vote Share	Swing
Sikkim Democratic Front		32	+1	165,991	65.91%	-5.18%
Indian National Congress		0	-1	69,612	27.64%	+1.51%
Source: Election Commission of India

Elected members

#	Constituency	Reserved for (BL/SC/None)	Member	Party
1	Yoksam-Tashiding	BL	A P Sharma		Sikkim Democratic Front
2	Yangthang	None	B B Rai
3	Maneybong Dentam	None	B Dhungel
4	Gyalshing-Barnyak	None	B K Rai
5	Rinchenpong	BL	B S Panth
6	Daramdin	BL	C B Karki
7	Soreng-Chakung	None	C M Subba
8	Salghari-Zoom	SC	D B Thapa
9	Barfung	BL	D L Lepcha
10	Poklok-Kamrang	None	D N Bhutia
11	Namchi-Singhithang	None	D N Thakarpa
12	Melli	None	K T Gyaltsen
13	Namthang-Rateypani	None	L Lepcha
14	Temi-Namphing	None	M B Dahal
15	Rangang-Yangang	None	M Cintury
16	Tumin Lingee	BL	Menlom Lepcha
17	Khamdong-Singtam	None	N K Pradhan
18	West Pendam	SC	Neru Sewa
19	Rhenock	None	P Gurung
20	Chujachen	None	P L Subba
21	Gnathang-Machong	BL	P S Tamang
22	Namchaybong	None	P T Bhutia
23	Shyari	BL	Pawan Chamling
24	Martam-Rumtek	BL	R B Subba
25	Upper Tadong	None	S G Bhutia
26	Arithang	None	S G Lepcha
27	Gangtok	None	T D Rai
28	Upper Burtuk	None	T Gurung
29	Kabi Lungchok	BL	T Sherpa
30	Djongu	BL	T T Bhutia
31	Lachen-Mangan	BL	T W Lepcha
32	Sangha	Sangha	U T Gyatso
Sources:

See also

• State Assembly elections in India, 2009
• Indian general election in Sikkim, 2009
• Assembly election results of Sikkim