The political landscape for the upcoming Sikkim urban local body elections was finalized on Monday as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) officially fielded six candidates on the final day of nominations. Despite the limited number of contestants compared to the ruling party, state BJP leaders expressed high confidence in their selected nominees for the 63 wards up for contention.
The BJP candidates who submitted their papers include Srijana Chettri (Diesel Power House ward, Gangtok Municipal Corporation), Pempo Dorjee Lepcha and Rajani Singh Cintury (Singtam Nagar Panchayat), Bhopal Baraily (Rangpo Nagar Panchayat), Sangay Bhutia (Namchi Municipal Council), and Naren Subba (Soreng Nagar Panchayat). Addressing the media after the filing, State BJP President DR Thapa congratulated the candidates but acknowledged the hurdles the party faced. He attributed the decision to field only six candidates to the “new reservation structure,” which he claimed made identifying suitable nominees difficult within the current legal framework.
Thapa remained firm, however, asserting that all six candidates would contest the elections without withdrawal. “We are confident about their victory,” he stated, emphasizing that the party would focus its resources on these specific battles. While the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) has demonstrated its organizational strength by fielding candidates in all 63 wards, the election is marked by a significant absence of other major players. Both the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) and the Citizen Action Party (CAP) have opted to boycott the polls.
The democratic process will now move into the scrutiny phase. The State Election Commission will conduct the scrutiny of nominations on April 2, with April 4 set as the final deadline for the withdrawal of candidacy.
Voters across the state’s urban local bodies will head to the polls on April 24, and the counting of votes—which will determine the new leadership of Sikkim’s municipal and nagar panchayats—is scheduled for April 25. With the SKM facing minimal organized opposition and the BJP focusing on a handful of key seats, the results will serve as a crucial barometer of the state’s current political climate.
