BJP announces candidates for Sikkim assembly, Lone candidate for LS polls

March 25, 2024

Gangtok: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday announced the list of 14 candidates who will be contesting for the 32 seats in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly. In addition to the Assembly candidates, the BJP also revealed its choice for the lone Lok Sabha seat in Sikkim.

The party has fielded Dinesh Chandra Nepal, a former bureaucrat in the Sikkim Government, as the party’s candidate for this seat.

Among the 14 candidates for the 2024 assembly elections, the BJP has retained two sitting legislators.

Sikkim BJP President DR Thapa, the sitting legislator from the Upper Burtuk constituency, defected from the Sikkim Democratic Front party and has secured the ticket from his home constituency. Similarly, MLA Narendra Kumar Subba, who also joined the BJP in 2019 following Thapa, has retained his Maneybong Dentam constituency.

The candidate declaration comes in the wake of the alliance call-off between the BJP and the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party on March 23. This decision was made by Sikkim BJP President DR Thapa following a meeting with party leadership in New Delhi. On Sunday, four sitting legislators resigned from the BJP party.

Sonam Tshering Venchungpa, elected from the Martam Rumtek constituency, along with three defectors from the Sikkim Democratic Front party – Raj Kumari Thapa (Yangang-Rangang), Tashi Thendup Bhutia (Barfung), and Pintso Namgyal Lepcha (Dzongu) – also resigned from the BJP party.