1. Wealth plays a major role: 70% of Sikkim candidates are millionaires.
2. Association for Democratic Reforms and Sikkim Election Watch analysis reveals.
3. 146 candidates analyzed, highlighting significant financial influence in politics.
Gangtok, April 16: In the upcoming Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections, wealth seems to play a significant role, with the majority of candidates being millionaires, according to an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Sikkim Election Watch.
Out of the 146 candidates contesting in the 2024 elections, a staggering 102 (70 percent) are millionaires, showcasing the influence of wealth in politics.
This trend reflects a significant increase compared to the 2019 elections, where 43 percent of the candidates were millionaires out of a total of 150 candidates. Wealth is a common denominator among candidates from various political parties, with most major parties fielding affluent individuals.
Among the analyzed candidates, those from the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) lead the wealth spectrum, with 97 percent of their candidates being millionaires.
The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) follows closely, with 88 percent of their candidates falling into the millionaire category. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Citizen Action Party also have a high percentage of millionaire candidates, at 68 percent and 57 percent respectively.
The wealthiest candidates in the fray include Delay Namgyal Barfungpa of SKM with assets worth 137 crore rupees, followed by Bhaichung Bhutia of SDF with assets worth 127 crore rupees.
There has been a notable increase in the assets of candidates contesting again since the 2019 elections, with an average increase of 8.61 crore rupees among 19 returning legislators.
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Notably, Kunga Nima Lepcha from SKM and Sanjeet Kharel from SKM have seen substantial asset growth since 2019.
However, the analysis also reveals a concerning trend regarding criminal cases among candidates. Five percent of the candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves, while four percent have declared serious criminal cases.
This indicates a slight increase compared to the 2019 elections, where three percent had criminal cases against them.
In terms of educational qualifications, 41 percent of candidates have declared qualifications between 5th and 12th grade.
Additionally, gender representation remains low, with only 10 percent of the candidates being female. This mirrors the gender ratio in the 2019 elections, indicating a persistent challenge in achieving gender parity in politics.
Overall, the analysis sheds light on the financial backgrounds and legal histories of candidates contesting in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections, highlighting both the prevalence of wealth in politics and the need for greater diversity and transparency in candidate selection processes.
