The Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) has announced its candidates for the October 21 by-elections to three assembly seats. The party’s parliamentary board, during a meeting, cleared the candidature of Moses Rai from Poklok-Kamrang constituency, Nuk Tshering Bhutia from Martam-Rumtek and Rinzing Ongmu from Gangtok seat, an official statement said here on Saturday.
By-polls were necessitated after sitting MLAs who had contested two Assembly seats vacated one. While the SDF bagged the Poklok-Kamrang and Martam- Rumtek segments earlier this year, the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) secured the Gangtok seat.
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Assembly elections were held in the state simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections in April. In the Assembly polls SDF lost power to SKM by two seats
The Pawan Chamling-led SDF, which had ruled Sikkim for five successive terms between 1994 and 2019, suffered a major jolt post elections, with 10 of its 13 MLAs joining the BJP and two others switching over to the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha.
(With inputs from PTI)