'Look Forward To Work With State Govt To Further Progress': PM Modi Congratulates Sikkim CM After SKM's Landslide Victory

The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) returned to power by sweeping the assembly polls in the Himalayan state, winning 31 of the 32 seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated Sikkim Krantikari Morcha chief Prem Singh Tamang for his party's victory in the assembly polls in the state and said he looks forward to working with the state government to further the progress of Sikkim. 

The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) returned to power by sweeping the assembly polls in the Himalayan state, winning 31 of the 32 seats. The opposition Sikkim Democratic Front won only one seat. 

"I thank all those who voted for @BJP4Sikkim in the Assembly Elections. I also appreciate the efforts put in by our Karyakartas. Our Party will always be at the forefront of working towards Sikkim’s development and fulfilling people’s aspirations," PM Modi said in a post on X. 

Congratulating SKM chief and Chief Minister Prem Singh Taamang (Golay), the prime minister said, "Congratulations to SKM and CM @PSTamangGolay for their victory in the Sikkim Assembly Elections 2024. I look forward to working with the State Government to further the progress of Sikkim in the coming times," PM Modi added in another tweet.

The BJP had contested in 31 assembly seats but failed to win a single one in Sikkim where it had 12 members in the last assembly elections. The BJP could secure only 5.18 per cent of the votes in the Himalayan state. It contested in 31 Assembly seats except in the Lachen Mangan seat and in most of the seats the saffron party candidates lost their security deposits.

The SKM, which won 31 out of 32 seats, got 58.38 per cent votes while the Sikkim Democratic Front bagged 27.37 per cent votes. 

Sikkim BJP president Dilli Ram Thapa lost to SKM nominee Kala Rai in the Upper Burtuk assembly constituency. Thapa, a sitting MLA and a former minister lost to Rai by 2,968 votes.

The saffron party decided to go alone in the Sikkim Assembly polls after severing its alliance with the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) led by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang after the seat-sharing talks broke down on the latter's reluctance to meet the BJP's demand for a respectable number of seats, as per PTI.