Gangtok:

Much waters have flown down Teesta and Rangeet rivers since Prem Singh Tamang rebelled against the then Sikkim chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and subsequently formed his own party, the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, in 2013.

Fifteen years after quitting the Sikkim Democratic Front in 2009, he decimated Mr Chamling’s party, scripting history by winning 31 of 32 assembly seats in the Himalayan state in 2024. Only twice before, in 1989 and 2009, had political parties, the Sikkim Sangram Parishad and the SDF, respectively, registered such landslide victories.

Fifty-six-year-old Tamang, regarded as an able organiser, administrator and fiery politician, rode on a slew of development and welfare measures, besides his own personal charisma, to massively increase his party’s seats and vote share.

After having walked out of prison, where he was lodged for one year after being convicted in a corruption case, in 2017, Mr Tamang had revamped his fledging party, which went on to unseat Mr Chamling from power only two years later, winning 17 seats in 2019.

Although SDF had won 15 seats, two party MLAs had won two seats each and had to quit one seat each, effectively putting the party’s strength at 13 in the assembly.

Mr Chamling suffered mass desertions of his MLAs, as 10 legislators joined the BJP, while the remaining two switched sides to the SKM, leaving him as the lone representative of his party in the assembly.

Mr Tamang, on the other hand, went on to further consolidate his power and expand his party base and support, focusing on welfare schemes targeted at women and weaker sections and implementing development work with generous funding from the Centre as he stitched an alliance with the BJP. The coalition, however, collapsed ahead of the 2024 assembly polls over the seat-sharing issue.

Born to Kalu Singh Tamang and Dhan Maya Tamang on February 5, 1968, he had graduated from a college in Darjeeling in neighbouring West Bengal and became a teacher in a government school in 1990.

However, he quit his job only three years later and in 1994, co-founded the SDF, with which he remained associated for nearly 20 years, of which he was a minister for 15 years, before floating his party in 2013. The SKM won 10 seats in the 2014 assembly elections.

After having fallen out with Mr Chamling, Mr Tamang had ploughed a lonely furrow in Sikkim politics, inviting the wrath of his former mentor as he was booked in a corruption case in which he was convicted to one year imprisonment following which he was disqualified from the state assembly as an MLA from Upper Burtuk seat.

After winning the 2019 polls, the bar on him to occupy a public post was removed by the central government, following which he took oath as the chief minister on May 27 that year and won a by-election five months later from Poklok-Kamrang constituency, ironically a seat vacated by Mr Chamling.

Five years down the line, the fortunes of the two leaders have changed drastically, with Mr Tamang winning from Rhenock and Soreng-Chakung constituencies by thumping margins, while Mr Chamling met his political waterloo by losing both seats, Namcheybung and Poklok-Kamrang.

The drubbings may mark the end of Mr Chamling’s four-decade-long public life during which he had served as a five-term chief minister to leave Mr Tamang as the new satrap of Sikkim.

The SKM boss, however, has also expressed his wish before the electorate to not remain in public life after serving two terms as the chief minister and to hand over the reins of the party to the next line of leadership. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Ahead of crucial assembly polls in the Himalayan state of Sikkim for its 32-member assembly — due on April 19 simultaneously with the Lok Sabha election — the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha has declared candidates for all seats and the lone Lok Sabha MP. The party has retained sitting MP Indra Hang Subba.

Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang was named the candidate from two constituencies — Rhenock (Pakyong District) and his native Soreng Chakung (Soreng District).

Mr Tamang replaces his son Aditya Tamang as the candidate from Soreng Chakung.

The Chief Minister who has won the by elections in 2019 from Poklok Kamrang constituency in Namchi district, has now given ticket to his wife Krishna Kumari Rai, a first-timer.

Three BJP MLAs who had resigned from the party on March 15, have been awarded SKM party tickets.

Sonam Tshering Venchungpa, who was elected in the 2019 by-election as the BJP MLA from Martm Rumtek constituency, has retained his seat with SKM.

Similarly, two leaders who defected from the Sikkim Democratic Front in 2019 and later joined the BJP, Raj Kumari Thapa from Yangang Rangang and Pintso Namgyal Lepcha from Dzongu constituency, have also retained their seats with the SKM party.

The SKM has dropped four legislators, including Aditya Tamang from Soreng Chakung constituency, Bishnu Kumar Sharma from Rhenock, Karma Loday Bhutia from Kabi Lungchok and SDF defector Em Prasad Sharma from Namcheybong constituency.

Protests took place outside SKM party office in Gangtok following the declaration of party tickets.

The agitated people from the Kabi Lungchok constituency opposed the SKM’s decision to award ticket to Thilay Tshering Bhutia, a former minister and long-time legislator of the SDF regime.

The SDF (Sikkim Democratic Front) has declared 26 candidates for the assembly polls, 11 of who are former legislators. Former two-time Lok Sabha MP Prem Das Rai has once again secured the MP ticket.

Former Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling will be contesting from Poklok Kamrang constituency, which he had relinquished for the by-elections in 2019. He was the sitting legislator from Namchi Singhithang, where Bimal Rai has now been given ticket.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha’s rebel legislator Mani Kumar Sharma has secured ticket from his home constituency in Singtam Khamdong.

Bhaichung Bhutia who joined SDF in November, has secured his native Barfung constituency. Former Gangtok Municipal Commissioner Ashish Rai, who was denied ticket in 2019, returned to the party last year having secured the coveted Arithang constituency as SDF candidate for 2024 elections.