How a single defection ended 25 years of political rule
In short: In the high-altitude politics of Sikkim, one man's dissent sparked a seismic shift. By breaking away from an established dynasty, P.S. Golay founded a movement that would eventually dismantle a quarter-century of governance, culminating in a legislative assembly with no opposition at all.
The rise of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) is a study in political realignment and strategic persistence. The party was born on February 4, 2013, in Soreng, founded by P.S. Golay. Golay was originally a prominent figure in the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), but he became a vocal critic of its president, Pawan Kumar Chamling, starting in December 2009. His formal secession from the SDF and leadership of the SKM marked the beginning of a campaign to end Chamling's long-standing dominance.
The transition was not immediate. In the April 2014 assembly elections, the SKM won only 10 seats out of 32, establishing itself as the second-largest party and the opposition. However, the party built momentum through strategic alliances—initially supporting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in by-polls and later choosing to fight independently in 2019 before joining the National Democratic Alliance on May 26, 2019.
The breakthrough occurred in the 2019 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election. The SKM won 17 constituencies, successfully ending Chamling’s 25-year rule and installing Golay as Chief Minister on May 28, 2019. Their dominance reached its zenith in the 2024 general elections, where they secured a landslide victory of 31 out of 32 seats. This total control was finalized in July 2024 when the sole remaining opposition MLA defected to the SKM, leaving the assembly with no formal opposition.
The party's growth also involved significant support from former leaders; for instance, Nar Bahadur Bhandari withdrew his own party to support the SKM during their 2014 campaign. This trajectory highlights a shift from a contested multi-party system to a near-monopoly of power within the state.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Sikkim Krantikari Morcha
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