The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) led by Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) returned to power in the Himalayan state for the second consecutive term by bagging 31 of the 32 seats.

The BJP, which had run a "domineering" campaign in the state, drew a blank.

The BJP leadership was accused by many of "insulting" and trying to steamroll the regional satraps, including leaders such as incumbent chief minister Golay and five-time chief minister Pawan Chamling of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), during the election campaign.

Dilip Jaiswal, the BJP in-charge of Sikkim, had during his campaign indirectly threatened to throw Golay in jail by drawing a parallel with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Disregarding public mandate, Jaiswal had added: “No matter who gets how many seats, it is the BJP which will form the government in Sikkim.”

Many in Sikkim had linked Jaiswal's "arrogance" to the way the BJP had sneaked into Sikkim politics in 2019.

Even though the party did not win a single seat during the 2019 Assembly elections, it managed to get 12 MLAs through defections and victories in bypolls with the support of Golay's SKM. Golay's party had supported the BJP to get their candidate elected in the Rajya Sabha earlier this year.

Sources said Golay decided to go solo this time after understating "ground emotions" in Sikkim.

The BJP decided to contest 31 of the 32 seats with state president D.R. Thapa leading the charge. This was the first time the BJP contested so many seats.

Even the most enthusiastic BJP supporter from Sikkim was not expecting the party to touch the majority mark but many were hopeful that the BJP would bulldoze to power.

"We were thinking that if our party could win three or four seats, we could form the government by ensuring that both the SKM and the SDF support us," said a BJP supporter.

Many Sikkim residents said they had found the BJP’s campaign "unsettling".

"The BJP's speech was dominating, full of arrogance and the tone was not right for a place that still has faith in regionalism," said a Gangtok resident.

Golay’s victory in Sikkim strengthened regionalism but also brought the curtains down on the long and illustrious career of five-term Sikkim chief minister Pawan Chamling.

Chamling, 73, was projected as the SDF’s chief minister candidate during this election. The veteran who had remained undefeated in the previous eight Assembly elections starting from 1985 lost from both the constituencies — Namcheybung and Poklok Kamrang — this time.

Golay won from both Soreng and Rhenock. His wife Krishna Kumari Rai, who made her electoral debut from Namchi, also won comfortably.

Bhaichung Bhutia, who had contested on an SDF ticket from Barfung, also had to bite the dust. Earlier this year, he had merged his Hamro Sikkim Party with the SDF.

Soon after his victory, Golay said: “I would like to thank everyone — the people of Sikkim, party cadres and leaders — for the victory as this would not have been possible without your support. We will now have to make a Sunaulo Sikkim, Samriddhi Sikkim (a golden Sikkim, a developed Sikkim).”