Sikkim Legislative Assembly election, 2009

Sikkim Assembly Elections 2009

30 April 2009

All 32 Assembly Constituencies Turnout 83.78%[1] [2]   Majority party Minority party   Leader Pawan Kumar Chamling Nar Bahadur Bhandari Party SDF INC Alliance UPA UPA Leader since 1994 Leader's seat Poklok-kamrang none Last election 2004 2004 Seats before 31 1 Seats won 32 0 Seat change +1 -1 Popular vote 165,991 69,612 Percentage 65.91% 27.64% Swing -5.18% +1.51%

Sikkim District Map

CM before election Pawan Kumar Chamling SDF CM-elect Pawan Kumar Chamling SDF

The Sikkim Legislative Assembly election of 2009 took place in April 2009, concurrently with the Indian general election, 2009. The elections were held in the state for all 32 legislative assembly seats along with third phase of Indian general elections, 2009 on 30 April 2009. The results were declared 5 May 2009. The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) further strengthened their majority in the Sikkim Assembly by winning all the seats. Incumbent Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling's Government returned for an unprecedented fourth consecutive term having won previous elections in 1994, 1999 and 2004.

Previous Assembly

In the Sikkim Legislative Assembly election, 2004, the SDF almost had a clean-sweep winning 31 of the 32 seats in the state. Congress was the only other party to win any seats, winning the Sangha seat that is reserved for the monks and nuns of Sikkim's many monasteries. P.K. Chamling led SDF had already formed the previous two Governments in Sikkim having first formed the Government after the 1994 election, when they won 19 seats within a year of the party being formed),^[3] and then again after the 1999 election, when they increased their tally to 24 seats.^[4] Chamling's third term began on May 21, 2004 when he and his 11cabinate ministers were sworn in by the then Governor of Sikkim V. Rama Rao.^[5]

Background

With the tenure of the Sikkim Assembly scheduled to expire on May 23, 2009, the Election Commission of India announced^[6] on March 2, 2009 that the elections to the Sikkim Assembly would be held at the same time as the general election. Sikkim voted in the third phase of the 5-phase national election.

Though SDF had provided external support to Manmohan Singh's Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre since 2004, the SDF and Congress were the main political opponents in Sikkim. Ironically, the Congress was led in the state by Nar Bahadur Bhandari, mentor and former colleague of Chamling.

In this election UDF was formed by coalition of BJP, INC and few other parties, which was thrown into disarray with its constituents appearing to go separate.

Schedule of election

Location of Sikkim in India

Parties and candidates

Results

Government formation

The SDF went from strength to strength and this time won even the single seat that had eluded them in 2004. With a clean sweep of all 32 seats in the state, Chamling was sworn in for his fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister by Governor B.P. Singh at the Gangtok Raj Bhawan on May 20, 2009. This Government included Neeru Sewa and Tilu Gurung who became the first ever women Cabinet ministers in Sikkim.

Number of seats

Source: Election Commission of India

Party	Flag	Seats Won	Seats Change	Popular Vote	Vote Share	Swing
Sikkim Democratic Front		32	+1	165,991	65.91%	-5.18%
Indian National Congress		0	-1	69,612	27.64%	+1.51%

Successful candidates

The members of sixth legislative assembly are listed below^[8][9]

See also

• State Assembly elections in India, 2009
• Indian general election in Sikkim, 2009
• Assembly election results of Sikkim

References

Elections and referendums in Sikkim
Legislative elections	1953 1958 1967 1970 1973 1974 1979 1985 1989 1994 1999 2004 2009 2014
General elections	1977 1980 1984 1989 1991 1996 1998 1999 2004 2009 2014
Referendums	1975