Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) president Pawan Chamling began his 50-day campaign from Rongli in Pakyong district on Monday to “protect” the Himalayan state from the alleged jungle raj of the P.S. Tamang (Golay) government.

Ahead of the launch of the statewide “Sikkimko Maato Bachauney Abhiyan (Save the land of Sikkim campaign)”, Chamling reached Rongli early Monday after marching with his supporters from Dalapchand Fatak.

Hundreds of SDF supporters carrying party flags marched with him, shouting slogans all along the route. Along the way, Chamling was greeted with khadas by his supporters.

However, some people, believed to be supporters of the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), had also lined up along the stretch near the Rongli bridge, carrying placards decrying Chamling and asking him to go back. On the approach to the bridge, police tried in vain to stop the SDF marchers from going ahead.

Speaking to reporters before starting his walk from Dalapchand Fatak, the former five-term chief minister said the campaign was being undertaken at the behest of the people of Sikkim.

“From today onwards, I will visit every nook and cranny of Sikkim in the next 50 days. We will deliver our message to the people of Sikkim because we have started this Sikkim Bachao Mato Bachao campaign at their behest,” he said.

Chamling said the goal of the campaign would be to protect Article 371F of the Constitution, which provides special status to Sikkim, that is allegedly being trampled by the three-and-a-half-year-old SKM government.

“After this government came to power, Sikkim’s special provisions, especially those provided by Article 371F, are being compromised one by one... Since it is obvious that Sikkim cannot be protected by this government, the SDF has come forward to protect the rights given to Sikkim and the Sikkimese people by the Constitution,” he said.

Chamling claimed that during his 25-year-old rule, his government had managed to fully protect Article 371F and keep Sikkim safe. “No anti-Sikkim and anti-Sikkimese deeds occurred. Not a single clause of Article 271F was violated,” he asserted.

The SDF president said the 50-day SDF drive could be seen as the start of the party’s election campaign since the Assembly polls were only 15-16 months away. “The three-anda-half-year-old SKM government is a jungalee government. This government has failed completely. It has not been able to do any work and has not been able to deliver on even one per cent of the promises made during the election. Sikkim today is headed downhill,” he said.

The SDF had lost the last election to the SKM in 2019 by a thin margin of seats despite polling a higher number of votes. In the 32-member Assembly, the SDF had won 15 seats against the SKM’s 17. The next elections are due in a year-and-a-half’s time.