The SKM landslide in Sikkim is a loud clap-back at BJP national president
J.P. Nadda’s takedown of regional parties.

While releasing the BJP manifesto in Sikkim in April, Nadda had said “enough is enough” as far as the regional parties were concerned and that mainstream meant
the BJP.

When the Sikkim Assembly results were declared on Sunday, the voters of the Himalayan state seemed to have sent a clear message that they too have had enough of the BJP’s brazen attempt to thrust itself onto the small state.

The votes polled by Sikkim Krantikari Morcha president Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) was more than the total votes polled by 31 BJP candidates who had contested the Assembly polls.

Chief minister Golay, who had contested from two Assembly constituencies, polled 10,094 votes from Rhenock and 10,480 votes from Soreng, taking the total number of votes polled in his favour to 20,574 votes.

The 31 BJP candidates managed to poll only 19,956 votes across the state.

Only four BJP candidates polled more than 1,000 votes in their constituencies, the highest being that of BJP Sikkim president D.R. Thapa who got 3,755 votes in Upper Burtuk.

The SKM, which won 31 of the 32 seats, had a vote share of 58.38 per cent while the Opposition Sikkim Democratic Front, which won only one seat, got a vote share of 27.37 per cent. The BJP’s vote share was only 5.18 per cent.

The result contrasts the high-pitch campaign against regionalism by Nadda.

“I want to make a request. Enough is enough. You have to come to the mainstream and mainstream is BJP and the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi. There has been enough of regional parties…,” Nadda had said.

He had said “gone are the days” of regional parties and even hinted at horsetrading by local parties, a charge often levelled against the BJP.

Sikkim BJP president Thapa did not take calls from this newspaper on Monday.

During the day, the 31 elected SKM candidates led by Golay called on Sikkim governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya and staked claim to form the new government.

“Bipasa (bijli or electricity, pani or water, sadak or road) will be our thrust area,” said C.P. Sharma, the spokesman for the SKM.

The party also issued a statement urging leaders of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), who have left the state fearing attacks, to return home.

“We have come to learn that many of you have left Sikkim fearing potential attacks. We wish to emphasise that the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, once a victim of such violence, deeply understands the pain caused by these heinous acts. Our ethos strongly stands against indulging in any form of violence,” said SKM spokesperson Jacob Khaling.

“In this spirit, we earnestly appeal to all the SDF leaders and supporters to return to Sikkim.”