SKM, BJP Led NDA’s Ally, Wins Lone LS Seat and Assembly Elections
NDA ally Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) led by Prem Singh Tamang, 28, popularly known as PS Golay, has ended Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling’s 25-year uninterrupted rule in the hilly state bordering China in a see-saw electoral battle. Of the State’s 32 Assembly seats, SKM has won 17 seats, leaving the Chief Minister and the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) led by him totally dum founded with 15 seats. The counting of votes for the 32 seats concluded late last night. However outgoing Chief Minister has won both the Poklok-Kamrang and Namchi Singhithang seats.His ministerial colleague DT Lepcha also won from Martam Rumtek and Gnathang-Machong. Other ministers – Ugen T Gyatso Bhutia and NK Subba – also romped home from the Tumin-Lingi and Maneybong-Dentam Assembly constituencies. Minister Garjman Gurung, however, lost the election from the Khamdong-Singtam seat.For the SKM, Kunga Nima Lepcha won from the Gangtok and Shyari Assembly seats. Golay has won the Soreng-Chakung Assembly seat. The SKM is likely to convene a parliamentary board meeting to elect its Chief Ministerial candidate, a party leader said.The SKM’s Women Front general secretary Pabitra Bhandari said that the party cadre would like PS Golay to become the next Chief Minister. Meanwhile, results of the just concluded Lok Sabha polls reveal that despite the violent protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill ,2016, BJP and its allies have improved position in the north-east. They have walked away with 18 of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in the NE.The bill being opposed by TMC, Congress and other opposition parties, seeks to provide citizenship to the Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Jains, Sikhs, Parsis and others compelled to leave their homelands in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan due to persecution. The Congress now remains confined to just four seats and its allies have bagged two LS seats. One constituency was won by an Independent candidate. The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, (CAB) was misinterpreted against the interest of the indigenous people of the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP’s National President Amit Shah reiterated that the NDA govt remained committed to enact the CAB if it came back to power in the election rallies in the region. Proving apprehension wrong, the BJP and its allies gained majorly, especially in Assam where a total of 14 seats were up for grabs. BJP on its own won in 9 seats in the State compared to 7 seats won in the previous LS poll. In Arunachal Pradesh, Kiren Rijiju Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, vociferous champion of CAB, retained his and his party colleague Tapir Gao has come back to Lok Sabha after trumping Congress candidate Lowangcha Wanglat in the Arunachal East constituency. Assam Finance Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma said the win for the NDA in the region was all because of the “tremendous development” of the Northeast under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “He has brought a new era for the people of the Northeast. Today, every part of the Northeast is connected with railways, Internet and now, there is also air connectivity in every State in the f the region),” he said. In Manipur, the BJP and the Naga Peoples’ Front won the Inner Manipur and Outer Manipur seats respectively, both of which were won by the Congress in 2014.The BJP further strengthened its position in the region by wresting the two constituencies – Tripura East and Tripura West – in Tripura from the Congress. In 2014, both these seats were won by the CPI (M). NDA ally Sikkim Krantikari Morcha added muscle to the coalition grabbing the lone seat in Sikkim by defeating the Sikkim Democratic Front’s candidate.In Mizoram, NDA ally Mizo National Front’s nominee C Lalrosanga defeated Independent candidate Lalnghinglova Hmar by 8,140 votes in the only Lok Sabha constituency of the State. Congress had won the seat in 2014.BJP ally Democratic Progressive Party’s Tokheho Yepthomi won the lone seat in Nagaland defeating Congress candidate KL Chishi by 16,344 votes in a seesaw contest. Congress has however retained the Shillong Parliamentary seat in Meghalaya and Tura Lok Sabha seat is retained by NDA ally National People’s Party. Agatha a Sangma, 38, daughter of former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma, has won the Tura Lok Sabha seat. Incidentally, his sibling Conrad Sangma is the 12th and incumbent Chief Minister of Meghalaya (with input from The Assam Tribune).
