The ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) won two Assembly seats uncontested on Tuesday as candidates of the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) withdrew their nominations.

In Sikkim, the byelections were scheduled to be held on November 23 in the two Assembly segments.

The seats had turned vacant as chief minister P.S. Tamang relinquished the Soreng-Chakung seat. Also, Krishna Kumari Rai, his wife, who had won from Namchi-Singhithang constituency, tendered her resignation.

As the by-elections were announced in these two seats, the SKM fielded Aditya Golay (Tamang), the chief minister’s son, and Satish Chandra Rai, a senior party leader.

Along with them, candidates of the SDF, Prem Bahadur Bhandari, and Daniel Rai, filed their nominations in the seats. Further, the Citizen Action Party (CAP), a comparatively new political force, fielded Pbin Hang Subba and Mahesh Rai for the by-polls.

During scrutiny, the nominations of both the candidates of CAP were rejected for technical reasons, which left only two candidates (candidates of SKM and SDF) in these seats.

On Tuesday, both the SDF candidates withdrew their nominations, leaving only the SKM candidates in the fray.

“Both have won uncontested. The formal announcement by the returning officers is just a matter of time now,” said an SKM leader.

In the Assembly elections held earlier this year, the SKM had won 31 of 32 seats while SDF had won only one seat, the Sayari Assembly constituency.

Tenzing Norbu Lamtha, the lone MLA of the SDF, later joined the SKM.