the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections Amidst the excitement, there is also talk of Rajya Sabha elections. Elections are to be held for three Rajya Sabha seats of Delhi and one of Sikkim. Voting for all four seats will take place on January 19. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has increased the political stir by fielding a candidate for the only Rajya Sabha seat of Sikkim.
Sikkim is a state where BJP could neither open its account in the 2019 general elections nor could even a single MLA win in the assembly elections. BJP has made Dorji Tsering Lepcha its candidate for the only seat in the state.
Why is this decision of BJP being discussed so much?
To understand why this decision of BJP is being discussed so much, let us know the political history of Sikkim and the political background of the current Chief Minister PS Tamang Gole. PS Golay was sentenced in a corruption case. He came out of jail on August 10, 2018 after serving his sentence. According to the rules, if the leader is convicted in a corruption case, he cannot contest any election for 6 years after coming out of jail.
Due to rules, PS Gole did not contest the 2019 assembly elections. However, after the victory of Tamang Golay’s party Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) in this election, Golay was elected the leader of the legislative party in the legislature party meeting and became the Chief Minister. After this, he was elected assembly member by winning the by-election in October 2019. Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) had accused the Election Commission of reducing Gole’s disqualification period from 6 years to one year and also filed a petition in the Supreme Court.
Is there an attempt to prepare ground in the politics of the state through SKM?
There are discussions in the political circles that PS Gole’s chair and legislature was saved only with the support of BJP and now his leaving the assembly seat is an attempt to repay the same favour. PS Golay has left the Rajya Sabha seat for BJP despite SKM’s victory being assured. It is being seen as a kind of return gift for the allies and Dorji Tsering for securing the government. Experts who understand the politics of North-East also believe that the people in these states are in favor of local parties. In such a situation, with this move of BJP, it is believed that the party is trying to prepare political ground in the state by holding the finger of SKM.