The election was held on 12 April 2014 for 9th assembly of Sikkim, the northeastern state of India. It elected 32 members of Sikkim Legislative Assembly.

Background Pawan Chamling-led SDF had already formed the previous four 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 21 May 2004 after increasing his tally to 31. In the 2009 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election, the SDF had a clean-sweep winning all 32 seats in the state assembly and Chamling was sworn in as a Chief Minister fourth times on 20 May 2009. SDF was contesting for the fifth consecutive term.

Campaign and issues The Buddhist minority demanded Karmapa to contest from Rumtek monastery. Nepali community in Sikkim demanded tribal status.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) was formed by Prem Singh Tamang in February 2013. Prem Singh Tamang alias P S Golay left Chamling's SDF in September 2014 and joined SKM. SKM contested from all 32 seats.

Schedule of election Poll Event Dates Announcement & Issue of Press Note 5 March 2014 Issue of Notification 19 March 2014 Last Date for filing Nominations 26 March 2014 Scrutiny of Nominations 27 March 2014 Last date for withdrawal of Candidature 29 March 2014 Date of Poll 12 April 2014 Counting of Votes on 16 May 2014 Date before which election shall be completed 20 May 2014 Constituencies Polling on this day 32 Source: Election Commission of India

Polling There were eligible voters including female voters. 538 polling stations were set up by election commission which were guarded by 3500 policemen and 15 companies of the West Bengal Police. There are two seats reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), 12 for Bhutia-Lepcha (BL) communities out of 32 seats. One seat (Sangha) is reserved for 2900 monks of over 100 monasteries.

SKM leader Golay contested from Namthang-Rateypani seat against incumbent SDF minister Tilu Gurung.

SDF leader and incumbent chief minister Chamling contested from two places, Namchi-Singhithang and Rangang-Yangang.

Voter turnout Total 80.97% of electorate including 80.57% males and 81.40% females cast their vote.

Voter turnout at each constituency was as below: No. Constituency Voter turnout % 1 Yoksam- Tashiding (BL) 84.66 2 Yangthang 82.18 3 Maneybong Dentam 83.59 4 Gyalshing Barnyak 82.19 5 Rinchenpong 84.73 6 Daramdin 82.34 7 Soreng Chakung 83.52 8 Salghari Zoom (SC) 82.61 9 Barfung (BL) 83.37 10 Poklok Kamrang 84.16 11 Namchi Singhithang 76.87 12 Melli 82.16 13 Namthang Rateypani 81.64 14 Temi Namphing 81.33 15 Rangang Yangang 82.53 16 Tumin Lingee (BL) 82.66 17 Khamdong Singtam 82.32 18 West Pendam (SC) 81.15 19 Rhenok 82.02 20 Chujachen 80.44 21 Gnathang Machong (BL) 81.40 22 Namchwybong 82.42 23 Shyari (BL) 78.14 24 Martam Rumtek (BL) 80.23 25 Upper Tadong 73.54 26 Arithang 71.14 27 Gangtok (BL) 65.94 28 Upper Burtuk 78.77 29 Kabi Lungchuk (BL) 80.37 30 Djongu (BL) 86.49 31 Lachen Mangan (BL) 82.72 32 Sangha 74.62 Total 80.97

Parties contested

Party Type Code Party name Number ofcandidates Total National Parties BJP Bharatiya Janata Party 13 45 INC Indian National Congress 32 State registered and recognized parties SDF Sikkim Democratic Front 32 32 State registered and unrecognised parties TMC Trinamool Congress 7 39 SKM Sikkim Krantikari Morcha 32 Independents n/a Independents 5 5 Total: 121 Source:

Results Votes were counted and results were declared on 16 May 2014. SDF lost 10 seats to SKM resulting in formation of opposition in the assembly which did not exist in previous assembly.

Results by constituency Winner, runner-up, voter turnout, and victory margin in every constituencyAssembly ConstituencyTurnout WinnerRunner UpMargin #k Names% Candidate Party Votes% Candidate Party Votes%1Yoksam–Tashiding86.02%Sonam Dadul Bhutia6,77768.33%Thutop Bhutia2,55925.8%4,2182Yangthang84.48%Chandra Maya Limboo (Subba)5,21156.%Kharka Bahadur Subba3,57238.39%1,6393Maneybong–Dentam85.79%Narendra Kumar Subba7,73772.43%Birbal Tamling2,51923.58%5,2184Gyalshing–Barnyak85.06%Sher Bahadur Subedi4,52950.86%Lok Nath Sharma3,89043.68%6395Rinchenpong85.86%Karma Sonam Lepcha7,34768.37%Pema Kinzang Bhutia2,89126.9%4,4566Daramdin84.65%Danorbu Sherpa6,25054.89%Mingma Narbu Sherpa4,64640.8%1,6047Soreng–Chakung85.47%Ram Bahadur Subba6,59655.4%Bharati Sharma4,66739.2%1,9298Salghari–Zoom83.7%Arjun Kumar Ghatani4,25052.63%Bhanu Pratap Rasaily3,47142.98%7799Barfung84.73%Dorjee Dazom Bhutia6,63963.79%Pema Wangyal Bhutia3,46033.24%3,17910Poklok–Kamrang86.18%Kedar Nath Rai7,99668.85%Bhoj Raj Rai3,32528.63%4,67111Namchi–Singhithang79.87%Pawan Kumar Chamling4,77455.08%Milan Rai3,69042.57%1,08412Melli84.57%Tulshi Devi Rai7,65567.32%Prem Bahadur Karki3,40629.95%4,24913Namthang–Rateypani83.53%Tilu Gurung5,94753.84%Prem Singh Tamang4,79243.38%1,15514Temi–Namphing83.75%Garjaman Gurung5,65755.38%Lalit Sharma4,26841.78%1,38915Rangang–Yangang84.48%Pawan Kumar Chamling6,34363.84%Bikash Basnet3,20132.22%3,14216Tumin–Lingee84.88%Ugyen Tshering Gyatso Bhutia7,19162.26%Nidup Tshering Lepcha3,99934.62%3,19217Khamdong–Singtam83.92%Somnath Poudyal4,71849.13%Dr. Mani Kumar Sharma4,44846.31%27018West Pendam82.63%Gopal Baraily5,38252.45%K. K. Thatal4,46243.49%92019Rhenock84.47%Hemendra Adhikari6,41550.05%Bhim Prasad Dhungel5,46142.6%95420Chujachen83.09%Bikram Pradhan7,83660.98%Kharga Bahadur Gurung4,42534.44%3,41121Gnathang–Machong85.51%Dorjee Tshering Lepcha5,01758.21%Sonam Dorjee3,10135.98%1,91622Namchaybong85.19%Bek Bahadur Rai5,57750.72%Dilip Rai4,95545.07%62223Shyari80.76%Kunga Nima Lepcha5,32452.23%Karma Tempo Namgyal Gyaltsen4,58845.01%73624Martam–Rumtek83.06%Mechung Bhutia6,05550.24%Menlom Lepcha5,57646.26%47925Upper Tadong76.6%Timothy William Basnett3,33348.61%Bhasker Basnett3,21146.83%12226Arithang73.22%Shyam Pradhan4,02657.92%Udai Lama2,42034.82%1,60627Gangtok68.17%Pintso Chopel4,20861.28%Hishey Lachungpa2,31733.74%1,89128Upper Burtuk81.42%Prem Singh Tamang5,27250.73%D. R. Thapa4,69945.21%57329Kabi–Lungchok84.83%Ugen Nedup Bhutia4,61549.18%Thenlay Tshering Bhutia4,48947.84%12630Djongu88.81%Sonam Gyatso Lepcha4,61863.67%Dawa Tshering Lepcha2,44333.68%2,17531Lachen–Mangan85.13%Tshering Wangdi Lepcha3,12753.43%Samdup Lepcha2,57043.92%55732Sangha75.69%Sonam Lama1,09649.86%Palden Lachungpa97144.18%125

Government formation SDF led by Chamling secured majority by winning 22 out of 32 seats. SKM won the rest ten seats.

Pawan Kumar Chamling was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Sikkim for the fifth time on 21 May 2014 by Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil, the Governor of Sikkim. He became the chief minister fifth time, a record previously held by Jyoti Basu who ruled West Bengal from 1977 to 2000.

See also Sikkim Legislative Assembly

References