Prem Singh Tamang elected leader of SKM legislature party

Legislators of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) have elected incumbent Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang as its chief ministerial candidate. Tamang stated in X, “Following the inaugural meeting of the newly elected legislators at Mintokgang, we formally submitted a resolution to the Governor, Lakshman Prasad Acharya Ji. The resolution, signed by all 30 newly elected legislators, has designated me as the leader of the Legislature Party and the Chief Ministerial candidate for the 11th Sikkim Legislative Assembly. I sincerely thank the esteemed legislators for their decision and the people of Sikkim for entrusting us with the responsibility to serve the state and its citizens once again”.

Ruling SKM returned back to power for the second consecutive term in Sikkim. SKM won 31 out of 32 seats. The Opposition Sikkim Democratic Front won just one seat.

SDF leader Pawan Chamling, who has been the longest-serving chief minister of the country, has lost from both seats he contested. In 2019, the SKM had ended the 25-year rule of the SDF in Sikkim by winning 17 seats against 15 of Pawan Chamling's party.


Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, also known as P.S. Golay emerged as a key figure in this victory, winning both the Rhenock and Soreng Chakung constituencies.

Chamling suffered a significant blow by losing both the seats he contested—Poklok Kamrang and Namcheybong. The SDF managed to win only a single seat, Lower Syari, which was claimed by Tenzing Lamtha. Lamtha had defected from the ruling SKM to the SDF just days before the candidate declaration.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) failed to open its account. The state president of the BJP, D.R. Thapa was unable to retain his seat in Upper Burtuk, suffering a defeat at the hands of Kala Rai from the SKM, who won with 6,323 votes.

The newly formed Citizen Action Party (CAP), led by Ganesh Rai, also did not fare well in the elections. The CAP failed to win any seats. Ganesh Rai, the party leader, lost in both the Melli and Chujachen constituencies.

Bhaichung Bhutia, the former captain of the Indian football team, tasted defeat in electoral politics yet another time. He lost to Rikshal Dorjee Bhutia of the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha by a margin of 4,346 votes in the Barfung seat. Bhutia contested as candidate of Sikkim Democratic Front.