26 March,2024 01:45 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Representational Pic/File
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday released its list of nine candidates for the Sikkim Assembly Elections 2024. The BJP has fielded Bhim Kumar Sharma from Gyalshing-Barnyak and Aruna Manger from Namchi-Singhithang seats.
Elections in Sikkim will be held with the first phase taking place on April 19.
An official release said that the Central Election Committee of the BJP has decided the following names for the ensuing General Elections to the Legislative Assembly of Sikkim.
Sikkim Legislative Assembly Election 2024
| Gyalshing-Barnyak | Bhim Kumar Sharma |
| Namchi-Singhithang | Aruna Manger |
| Tumin-Lingee | Phurba Rinzing Sherpa |
| West-Pendam | Bhupal Baraily |
| Melli | Yogen Rai |
| Shyari | Pempo Tshering Lepcha |
| Martam-Rumtek | Chewang Dadul Bhutia |
| Upper Tadong | Niren Bhandari |
| Gangtok | Pema Wangyal Rinizing |
SDF chief Pawan Chamling to contest from 2 Assembly seats
Meanwhile, Former chief minister and Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) president Pawan Kumar Chamling will run for two assembly seats, the party announced on Tuesday.
On April 19, elections will be conducted for the 32-member Sikkim Assembly and the Himalayan state's lone Lok Sabha seat.
After a Monday late-night deliberation by the SDF parliamentary board, it was determined that in addition to the Poklok-Kamrang seat, the five-year former CM will also fight from the Namcheybung seat.
BJP fields ex-Congress MLAs in Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat bypolls
The BJP on Tuesday named its candidates for assembly bypolls in several states, fielding six disqualified MLAs of the Himachal Pradesh assembly in the state days after they joined the party after leaving the Congress.
Several Gujarat MLAs, including four from the Congress who joined the BJP recently, have also been fielded by the party for bypolls necessitated by their resignations.
In Himachal Pradesh, the BJP has named Sudhir Sharma (Dharamshala), Ravi Thakur (Lahaul and Spiti), Rajinder Rana (Sujanpur), Inder Dutt Lakhanpal (Barsar), Chetanya Sharma (Gagret) and Devinder Kumar Bhutto (Kutlehar) as its candidates.
The six former Congress MLAs were disqualified for defying a party whip and had voted for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha poll, inflicting an embarrassing defeat on the Congress that is in power in the state.
In Gujarat, the BJP's candidates for bypolls to five seats include Arjun Modhvadiya, Chatursinh Chavda and Arvind Ladani.
The BJP also named its candidates for the bypolls to two seats in West Bengal and one seat in Karnataka, besides for nine assembly seats in Sikkim.
Assembly elections in Sikkim are held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls, and the BJP recently broke its alliance with the state's ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha.
(with PTI inputs)
