Ruling party makes clean sweep of panchayat polls in Sikkim

The ruling Sikkim Democratic Front has made a clean sweep in the first party-based panchayat polls held on Monday.

According to results declared on Wednesday by state election commission secretary K N Sharma, the Communist Party of India-Marxist bagged 71 of the total 92 zilla parishad seats in the four districts of the state while it grabbed 603 of the total 868 gram panchayat wards.

Elections to 42 wards in west Sikkim were adjourned following defects in ballot papers. Polling has been again scheduled in these wards for October 15. The SDF was the only major party contesting on a party basis.

The combined Opposition, protesting against the politicisation of the grass roots, had not fielded any official candidates.

The Opposition Sikkim Sangram Parishad, the newly-floated Sikkim Ekta Manch and the Congress, backed independents, who won only 21 zilla parishad seats and 265 gram panchayat wards in the four districts.

The Opposition independents were no match for SDF nominees in west, east and south Sikkim where the ruling party candidates romped home with most of the zilla parishad seats and gram panchayat wards. The Opposition made some headway, though, in the tribal-dominated north Sikkim.

EARLIER REPORT:
Sikkim Democratic Party surges ahead in panchayat polls