SDF scotches rumour of going with BJP, to go it alone in next

Scotching rumours that the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front would contest the next polls in alliance with the BJP, the SDF on Wednesday said it would go it alone in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

Since the inception of the party 27 years ago, the SDF has contested all the elections on its own and the people of Sikkim have blessed the party in every polls, party spokespersons Bhim Dahal, KT Gyaltsen and TN Sharma said.

"The SDF will contest the assembly and parliamentary elections in 2019 on its own under the able leadership of the party supremo and Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling," Dahal said.

He alleged that opposition parties were spreading rumours to create seeds of doubt about the SDF among people.

On the SDF being constituent of the BJP-led NDA and the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), another spokesperson KT Gyaltsen said the party has always been a part of the coalition of the party ruling at the Centre.

This is required to safeguard interests of the Himalayan state sharing borders with China, Nepal and Bhutan, Gyaltsen said.

Spokesperson TN Sharma said the party's long standing demand to increase the strength of Sikkim assembly from the existing 32 to 40 has yet to be met.

The demand for reservation of assembly seats for the Limboo and Tamang communities, accorded Scheduled Tribes (ST) status in 2002, also remained unfulfilled, he said.

The SDF has decided to give five tickets to Limboo and Tamang communities in the next assembly polls from the 17 general seats, he said.

Of the remaining 15 seats, 12 are reserved for Bhutia-Lepcha communities, two for Scheduled Castes and one for the 'Sangha'.

The 'Sangha' seat is the one of its kind in India which was created under Article 371 (F) of the Constitution to give monks' representation in governance as was done during the rule of the erstwhile Chogyal kings.