1. BJP set to secure the sole Rajya Sabha seat in Sikkim uncontested.
2. Dorjee Tsherin Lepcha, the sole BJP candidate, filed the nomination on the last day.
3. The presence of SKM MLAs, including Chief Minister P.S. Tamang, hints at a potential pre-poll alliance with BJP.
Gangtok, Jan 10: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on course to secure the sole Rajya Sabha seat in Sikkim without contest as only one candidate from the party, Dorjee Tsherin Lepcha, filed his nomination on the last day.
The presence of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) MLAs during the nomination, including Chief Minister P.S. Tamang and other state ministers, suggests a potential pre-poll alliance between SKM and the BJP.
Dorjee Tsherin Lepcha, a five-time MLA representing the Gnathang Machong constituency in Sikkim, submitted his nomination papers accompanied by Chief Minister Tamang and state ministers. The 66-year-old politician is the BJP’s nominee for the vacant Rajya Sabha seat.
The filing of only one nomination, that of Lepcha, by the end of the nomination process on Tuesday, solidifies the BJP’s uncontested win for the Rajya Sabha seat in Sikkim.
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In conjunction with the Rajya Sabha elections, Sikkim is gearing up for both parliamentary and Assembly elections this year. With only one Lok Sabha seat and a 32-member Assembly in the state, the BJP’s potential alliance with SKM for the Rajya Sabha seat indicates a broader collaboration for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.
While political observers in Sikkim speculate on an alliance between the SKM and BJP, Lepcha, when questioned about the matter, evaded a direct response.
Expressing gratitude to the chief minister and others present during his nomination, Lepcha deferred comments on the alliance issue, stating that only senior party leaders could provide insights into it.
