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 | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sikkim Democratic Front | 32 | 32 | 165991 | 65.91% | |
| Indian National Congress | 32 | 0 | 69612 | 27.64% | |
| Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad Party | 20 | 0 | 5516 | 2.19% | |
| SGPP | 27 | 0 | 2909 | 1.16% | |
| Bharatiya Janata Party | 11 | 0 | 1966 | 0.78% | |
| Nationalist Congress Party | 11 | 0 | 1065 | 0.42% | |
| SJEP | 6 | 0 | 497 | 0.2% | |
| Communist Party of India (Marxist) | 3 | 0 | 272 | 0.11% | |
| Independents | 16 | 0 | 3450 | 1.37% | |
| 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: | |||||