Gangtok: The process of filing nomination papers for the upcoming by-elections in two Sikkim assembly constituencies concluded on Friday, with a total of seven candidates set to contest.
Among the last to submit their nominations were Mahesh Rai and Provincia Hung Subba from the Citizen Action Party – Sikkim (CAP-S), who filed their papers for Namchi-Singhithang and Soreng-Chakung constituencies, respectively.
For the Namchi-Singhithang seat, the race includes Satish Chandra Rai from the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), along with Daniel Rai and substitute candidate Yojna Rai from the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF).
Meanwhile, the contest for Soreng-Chakung will see CAP-S’s Subba facing off against former MLA Aditya Golay (SKM) and Prem Bahadur Bhandari (SDF).
The nomination papers will undergo scrutiny on October 28, and candidates have until October 30 to withdraw their candidacy. The by-elections are scheduled to take place on November 13.
These two assembly seats fell vacant following the resignations of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and his wife, Krishna Kumari Rai.
Tamang had vacated the Soreng-Chakung seat, opting to retain the Rhenock constituency after his win, while Rai stepped down as an MLA on June 13, just a day after taking her oath of office. The reason for her resignation remains unclear.
Currently, the ruling SKM holds a strong majority with 30 seats in the 32-member Sikkim Legislative Assembly. The upcoming by-elections are expected to test the party’s dominance and gauge the support for opposition parties like SDF and CAP-S in the region.
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