The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : 4 Sikkim Ministers denied re-nomination

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Wednesday, Apr 14, 2004

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National - Elections 2004

4 Sikkim Ministers denied re-nomination

Marcus Dam

KOLKATA

The Sikkim Chief Minister, Pawan Kumar Chamling, who had expressed "dis-satisfaction" with his "team" while referring to his Government's drawbacks in an interview to this newspaper last month, has finally acted. Four Ministers and the Deputy Speaker of the Sikkim Assembly have been denied re-nomination in the coming elections to the State's Assembly on May 10 and more than a third of those contesting on the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) ticket are new faces.

The move is also being seen in local circles as one aimed at blunting the edge of any possible anti-incumbency factor that the Congress, the main Opposition, may have been hoping to take advantage of. Mr. Chamling is seeking a mandate for a third successive term.

In another major development, the Sikkim Bhutia-Lepcha Apex Committee (SIBLAC), which claims to be the representative body of the Bhutia and Lepcha tribal communities, has decided to support the Congress. The decision was taken at a convention of the SIBLAC at Kabilungchak in Sikkim's North District last weekend. The SIBLAC convener, Chetan Tashi Bhutia, who had earlier resigned from the SDF, joined the Congress on the occasion. "Mr. Bhutia joining the Congress provides the SIBLAC with an opportunity to have a representative in the Assembly," its spokesperson, Tenzing T'wang, said.

Even though the SDF is a constituent of the National Democratic Alliance, the party leadership's decision to contest from all the 32 Assembly seats sets at rest speculation of an electoral alliance with the BJP. "The BJP had wanted a tie-up at the State level but the party has no following [in Sikkim]. How can we compromise with a weak party," asked B.B. Gurung, political adviser to the Chief Minister and SDF spokesperson.

The reasons for denying re-nomination to the five SDF members are "non-performance and shortcomings in their dedication to the party." "Moreover the people wanted a massive change and the decision to bring in new faces is in consonance with the feelings of the people," Mr. Gurung added.

The SDF won 25 of the 32 seats in the last Assembly where its strength increased subsequently with six MLAs of the Sikkim Sangram Parishad, the major Opposition party then, joining it.

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