SKM's Uncontested Bypoll Victories A Worrying Sign For Democracy In Sikkim | OPINION

The ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) won the bypolls for two seats — Soren-Chakhung and Namchi-Singhithang — uncontested this week. Aditya Golay, son of Chief Minister Prem Singh Golay, won the Soren-Chakhung seat, while Satish Chandra Rai was elected from Namchi-Singhithang. This followed the withdrawal of two candidates from the main opposition party, the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF). Prior to that, two candidates from the Citizen Action Party (CAP) were disqualified due to forged proposer signatures.

Both the seats had originally been won by the SKM in this year’s state elections. The Soren-Chakhung seat became vacant after Prem Singh Golay resigned. Having won two seats, he chose to vacate Soren-Chakhung and retain the Rhenock assembly seat. Meanwhile, the Namchi-Singhithang seat was vacated by Krishna Kumari Rai, the Chief Minister's wife, who resigned just days after winning the seat.

While the Election Commission disqualified the two CAP candidates over alleged forged proposer signatures, CAP described this as a conspiracy and an assault on democracy. The party said the incident reflected the SKM's "dictatorial tendencies".

Accusations of dictatorial behaviour against SKM are not new; in its five years of being in power, Opposition parties — and even ally BJP — have raised concerns of political violence against SKM. Although losing parties often make such claims to explain weaknesses or failures, the fact remains that uncontested victories are an unhealthy sign in a multi-party democracy. These uncontested wins can obscure ground realities and foster a sense of invincibility within the ruling party — a caution for SKM to heed.

On the other hand, the opposition also has a role in upholding democracy. Allegations by Prem Bahadur Bhandari, the SDF candidate who withdrew from Soren-Chakhung, against his own party and its president, Pawan Kumar Chamling, for not providing necessary support, cannot be dismissed lightly. Such charges raise questions about SDF's seriousness as the primary opposition party, which has a duty to address public issues and challenge the ruling party. Its failure to compete against the ruling party highlights the SDF's shortcomings as an opposition force, marking a setback for the state's democratic health.

Additionally, the SDF, despite winning one assembly seat in the last election, currently has no MLA in the Sikkim assembly. Its sole MLA, Tenzing Norbu Lamtha, joined the ruling SKM a month after his election on an SDF ticket. As a result, all 32 members of the state assembly now belong to the ruling party, leaving the opposition without representation.

Why Gambegre Bypoll Is A Prestige Fight For Conrad Sangma

The byelection for the Gambegre assembly constituency has become a high-stakes battle since the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) nominated Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s wife, Mehtab Chandee Agitok Sangma.

In the last assembly polls, Congress’s Saleng A Sangma, now a Lok Sabha MP from Tura, won this seat. Gambegre has long been a stronghold for Saleng Sangma, who claimed victory here in 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2023. This time, Congress has nominated Jingiang Sangma, a close associate of Saleng Sangma.

Having faced a major setback in losing its Tura Lok Sabha stronghold in this year’s parliamentary elections, the NPP is determined to capture Gambegre. Typically, the ruling party holds an advantage in bypolls, and the NPP aims to leverage this to counter the resurgent Congress. However, this fight is challenging, as Congress also led in this area during the Lok Sabha elections.

This is why the NPP chose a prominent candidate like Mehtab Sangma, the Chief Minister’s wife. By doing so, the party has effectively placed its leader, who is also its national president, in the fray. A loss here for the NPP in this Congress-dominated seat would be seen as a defeat for Conrad Sangma and his administration. Whether this strategic move by the NPP will succeed remains to be seen.

Gaurav Gogoi’s Message Of Reconciliation

After the Opposition's unity in Assam collapsed due to Congress’s decision to field candidates in five assembly bypolls, Congress MP from Jorhat, Gaurav Gogoi, extended an olive branch to other opposition parties. He remarked this week that the rift within the Assam Sanmilito Mancha (ASOM) is temporary and will soon be resolved.

The unity between ASOM constituents fractured when Congress decided to contest the Behali assembly seat. Gaurav Gogoi, who is seen as a potential chief ministerial candidate, has been blamed by ASOM allies for the split in Behali.

However, Gogoi clarified that all candidate decisions were made by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) under party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, subtly shifting responsibility to the AICC. This development highlights the challenges Congress faces in coordinating with its allies.

Meanwhile, Akhil Gogoi, president of the Raijor Dal and a member of the ASOM bloc, criticized Gaurav Gogoi this week, stating that his party is preparing to contest all 126 assembly seats while leaving some seats open for ASOM allies. Whether Gaurav Gogoi’s reconciliatory gesture towards the ASOM bloc will be effective remains uncertain.

The author is a political commentator.

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