THE OLD SETTLERS OF SIKKIM

Opposition to campaign for boycott of polls by people

It’s Final: Opposition to Boycott Municipal Polls


Sikkim Express | www.sikkimexpress.com

GANGTOK, March 28: With the election process for establishing a three-tier municipal institution in Sikkim formally commenced from yesterday, the opposition parties have stuck to their stand of boycotting the civic polls even as the ruling Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party is set to release the party election manifesto in the next few days.

The State Election Commission had yesterday notified the schedule for the municipal polls leading to the simultaneous enforcement of model code of conduct till the election process in completed.

The last date for submission of nomination papers is April 3 which means only six days now remain for the political parties and individuals to contest the polls.
However, at the moment, the first municipal elections in Sikkim looks like a walkover for the ruling front in all the 47 wards as the Opposition has reiterated its stand to boycott the polls.

The Sikkim Pradesh Congress Committee (SPCC) said that it will boycott the municipal elections as the whole exercise is against the interests of the bonafide Sikkimese persons and the old settlers.

“We will not participate in the municipal elections which are against the interests of the local people and the old settlers. There has been total violation of Article 371 F”, said SPCC senior vice-president KN Upreti to SIKKIM EXPRESS.

Uperti reminded that the SPCC and other opposition parties had already registered their protests by staging a walkout from the all-party meet conducted by the State Election Commission on March 22 regarding the municipal elections.

Barring one or two opposition parties, all the other opposition parties including the national parties have taken a united stand to boycott the elections, said Upreti. He also claimed that the opposition parties were not taken into confidence by the State Election Commission during the pre-election process and accused the State government of trying to monopolize the municipal polls.

The opposition parties have expressed objections of delimitation of large percentage of rural areas as municipal wards and reservation of posts of Mayor and Chairperson. The Mayor post of Gangtok Municipal Corporation has been reserved for Bhutia-Lepcha community while the Chairperson post of Namchi Municipal Council has been reserved for the Limboo-Tamang community.

“Now we will appeal the people to boycott the municipal elections in this format. If the voters in large percentage boycott the elections then it would be our victory”, said the SPCC senior vice-president. He said that the opposition parties would be reaching out to the people till the voting day and appealing them not to vote.

Similarly, State BJP president Padam Chettri said that the upcoming municipal elections are ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘undemocratic’. The State government is trying to overlook the opposition parties and imposing the elections on the people, he said. “We are boycotting the municipal polls in the present format. We don’t want to be part of such illegal setup. We will embark on a large scale programme to appeal the people not to cast their votes to set up the municipal bodies which are against their interests. Rest is up to the voters”, said Chettri. He claimed that the percentage of voting will come down drastically during the municipal polls.
Sikkim CPIM State Committee member PP Koirala also made similar stand. “We are boycotting the elections. The municipal bodies in the present format are not in the interests of the people”, he said.

Koirala said that it is up to the people to exercise their voting rights. The State government and the election commission will be responsible when things go wrong in the future, he said.

Regional outfits, Sikkim National People’s Party and Sikkim Himali Rajya Parishad have already announced to boycott the elections.

The municipal elections are being held for Gangtok Municipal Corporation with 15 wards, Namchi Municipal Council with seven wards and five Nagar Panchayats with five wards each.

The last date for filing nominations is April 3, scrutiny will be done of April 5 and the last day of withdrawal of nominations is on April 7. Voting will take place on April 27 and counting will be held on April 29.