Sikkim Assembly Election

The Sikkim Janata Parishad (SJP), led by Nar Bahadur Bhandari, won 17 seats, just crossing the majority mark.
N. B. Bhandari became the first elected Chief Minister of Sikkim (he later went on to dominate Sikkim politics in the 1980s and 1990s).
The Sikkim Congress (Revolutionary) emerged as the main opposition with 11 seats.
Smaller factions of the Sikkim Congress and some Independents got a couple of seats each.
This election was significant as it was the first step in Sikkim’s democratic journey after centuries of monarchy and the merger with India.

Nar Bahadur Bhandari, after leaving the Sikkim Janata Parishad, created the Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP).
In the 1985 election, the SSP won 30 out of 32 seats, a near-total sweep.
The Congress managed only 1 seat, showing its weakness in Sikkim’s regional politics.
One independent candidate also secured a seat.
This election established Bhandari as the undisputed political leader of Sikkim, with his SSP dominating state politics for the rest of the 1980s and into the 1990s.

The Sikkim Sangram Parishad (SSP) under N. B. Bhandari created history by winning all 32 seats.
The Indian National Congress and all other parties were completely wiped out.
This meant there was no opposition party in the Assembly, and the SSP held absolute power.
This period marked the peak of Bhandari’s political dominance in Sikkim, making him a legendary figure in state politics.
Such clean sweeps have been extremely rare in Indian politics (similar examples are Mizoram in 1987, Nagaland in 2018).

The SSP, led by N. B. Bhandari, won 19 seats, just enough to retain power.
The SDF (Sikkim Democratic Front), led by Pawan Kumar Chamling, won 10 seats — a major breakthrough that signaled a new political force in Sikkim.
The INC managed only 1 seat, showing its irrelevance in Sikkim politics.
2 Independents also entered the Assembly.
Though Bhandari continued as Chief Minister, his once unchallenged dominance began to crumble.
Within a few years, Chamling and the SDF would overthrow him, starting a new political era in Sikkim.

Pawan Kumar Chamling’s SDF won a landslide victory with 24 seats, easily crossing the majority mark.
N. B. Bhandari’s SSP, once all-powerful, was reduced to just 7 seats, showing a major decline in his political influence.
The Congress managed only 1 seat, confirming its irrelevance in Sikkim politics.
No independents won this time.
With this mandate, Chamling strengthened his position as CM and began a 20-year long rule, during which he became one of India’s longest-serving Chief Ministers.

SDF won 31 out of 32 seats, giving Chamling near-total control of the Assembly.
The INC managed only 1 seat, making it the only opposition member.
N. B. Bhandari’s SSP, which once dominated Sikkim, failed to win a single seat — marking the collapse of Bhandari’s political career.
With this victory, Chamling’s dominance became absolute, and SDF emerged as the only significant political force in the state.
This election confirmed Sikkim as a one-party state, at least for the time being.

SDF created history by winning all 32 Assembly seats, making Pawan Chamling’s hold on Sikkim absolute.
No opposition party won a single seat, turning the Assembly into a one-party House.
This victory marked the peak of Chamling’s dominance, cementing his reputation as one of India’s longest-serving Chief Ministers.
The INC and other opposition parties were completely sidelined.
The election outcome highlighted Chamling’s popularity, strong grassroots organization, and absence of a strong rival leader.

The SDF won 22 seats, enough for a fifth consecutive term for Chamling as CM.
The SKM (Sikkim Krantikari Morcha), led by Prem Singh Tamang (Golay), contested its first Assembly election and won 10 seats, immediately becoming the main opposition.
For the first time since 1994, the Sikkim Assembly had an opposition presence.
The INC and other parties were completely eliminated.
This election showed that while Chamling was still dominant, his grip on power was slowly loosening with the rise of SKM.

The SKM won 17 seats, just enough to cross the majority mark of 17, and formed the government.
The SDF won 15 seats, still a strong force, but it was not enough to retain power.
This defeat ended Pawan Chamling’s 25-year rule (1994–2019), making him India’s longest-serving Chief Minister at the time.
Prem Singh Tamang (P. S. Golay) became the new Chief Minister of Sikkim, leading the SKM government.
For the first time in decades, Sikkim politics had a change in leadership and ruling party.

Voter Turnout: Approximately 79.9%, reflecting strong electoral participation.
Shift in Power: SKM’s victory is historic, cementing its supremacy and legitimacy with an even stronger mandate than in 2019.
Decline of SDF: The former ruling party, SDF, nearly vanished from the political landscape with a single seat win and subsequent defections further weakening its position.
Chief Minister Continuity: Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) retained his position as Chief Minister under the SKM banner.