1967 Sikkimese general election
{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox election
| country = Kingdom of Sikkim
| type = legislative
| previous_election = 1958 Sikkimese general election
| previous_year = 1958
| next_election = 1970 Sikkimese general election
| next_year = 1970
| election_date = 16 March 1967{{cite news |title=Around the World |newspaper=Reading Eagle |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wgorAAAAIBAJ&q=sikkim&pg=PA25 |date=16 March 1967 |quote=Voters go to polls today in the Himalayan Kingdom of Sikkim, ... |access-date=9 February 2022}}
| seats_for_election = 18 of the 24 seats in the State Council
| party1 = Sikkim National Congress
| last_election1 = –
| seats1 = 8
| seat_change1 = New
| party2 = Sikkim National Party
| last_election2 = 6
| seats2 = 5
| seat_change2 = {{decrease}} 1
| party3 = Sikkim State Congress
| last_election3 = 7
| seats3 = 2
| seat_change3 = {{decrease}} 5
}}
General elections were held in Sikkim in March 1967, having been due earlier but postponed after a state of emergency was declared following the Sino-Indian War.{{cite book |title=Encyclopaedia of North-East India |volume=7:Sikkim |author=Hamlet Bareh |year=2001 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=9788170997948 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jrr7HPr8NAQC |page=17}} The Sikkim National Congress emerged as the largest single party, winning eight of the 24 seats. Although the Sikkim National Party won only five seats, its parliamentary faction was joined by three others (one each from the Tsong (Limbu), Sangha and scheduled caste reserved seats).
Electoral system
The State Council was established in 1953 by the Chogyal.Bareh, p16 It originally had 18 members, of which 12 were elected and six (including the President) appointed by the Chogyal. Of the 12 elected members, six were from the Nepali community and six from the Bhutia-Lepcha community. For the 1958 elections the number of seats was increased to 20 by adding one seat for the Sangha and an additional appointed member. In 1966, a further four seats had been added; one each for the Nepali and Lepcha/Bhutia communities, together with one for the Tsong (Limbu){{cite journal |url=http://jogltep.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/JOGLTEP5.pdf |title=The Tsongs (Limbus) Down the Ages in Sikkim |journal=Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies|volume=5 |issue=2 |date=1 December 2019 |author=Buddhi L. Khamdhak |accessdate= 3 February 2021 |quote=The Sikkimi Tsongs, Limbus or Yakthungs, are the Indigenous inhabitants of Sikkim. They are also commonly called 'Tsong' by the Bhutias and Lepchas in Sikkim}} and a scheduled caste seat.
Candidates for election to the Council had to be at least 30 years old, whilst the voting age was set at 21.
Results
{{Election results
|party1=Sikkim National Congress|votes1=|seats1=8|sc1=New
|party2=Sikkim National Party|votes2=|seats2=5|sc2=–1
|party3=Sikkim State Congress|votes3=|seats3=2|sc3=–5
|party4=Others|votes4=|seats4=3|sc4=+3
|row5=Appointed members|seats5=6|sc5=–1
|total_sc=+4
|source=Hamlet Bareh
}}
=Constituency-wise=
| class="wikitable sortable"
!# !Constituency !Reservation !Name !colspan=2|Party |
| 1
|rowspan=2 |Gangtok |R. Namgyal |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"| |
| 2
|Chatur Singh Rai |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"| |
| 3
|rowspan=3 |East |rowspan=2 |Bhutia-Lepcha |Netuk Bhutia |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"| |
| 4
|Nima Tenzing |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"| |
| 5
|style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim State Congress}}"| |
| 6
|rowspan=3 |South |Nayan Tsering Lepcha |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"| |
| 7
|rowspan=2 |Sikkimese Nepali |Garjaman Gurung |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"| |
| 8
|Thakur Singh Rai |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"| |
| 9
|rowspan=3 |West |Ongden Lepcha |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"| |
| 10
|rowspan=2 |Sikkimese Nepali |Bhim Bahadur Gurung |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"| |
| 11
|Premlall Tiwari |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"| |
| 12
|rowspan=3 |North |rowspan=2 |Bhutia-Lepcha |Martam Topden |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"| |
| 13
|Pawo Tensung Bhutia |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Party}}"| |
| 14
|Jitbahadur Lama |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim State Congress}}"| |
| 15
|rowspan=4 |General |None |Lendhup Dorji Khangsarpa |style="background-color: {{party color|Sikkim National Congress}}"| |
| 16
|Pema Lama |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}"| |
| 17
|Harka Dhoj Tsong{{cite web |url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP880-1-1-160 |page=158 |title=List of people who filed nomination papers |date=17 January 1967 |author=Election Committee |access-date= 24 June 2021}} |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent (politician)}}"| |
| 18
|SC |style="background-color: {{party color|Independent (politician)}}"| |
| class="sortbottom"
|colspan=6 | Source: Sikkim Darbar Gazette{{cite web |url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP880-1-1-160 |title=Sikkim Darbar Gazette - Declaration of the Results of Election, 1967 |date=8 April 1967 |pages=67–68 |access-date= 16 June 2021}} |
=Appointed members=
In addition to the elected members, six members were appointed to the Sikkim State Council by the Chogyal, which included R. N. Haldipur (Dewan of Sikkim and President of the Council), M. M. Rasailly, Hon. Lt. P. B. Basnet, Sonam Wangyal, I. B. Gurung, and Sangey Tempo.{{cite web |url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP880-1-1-74 |page=2 |title=Council Meeting Book |date=21 December 1967 |access-date= 22 June 2021}}
Executive Council
From the elected members, the following were appointed as members of the Executive Council, by the Chogyal:{{cite web |url=https://eap.bl.uk/archive-file/EAP880-1-1-160 |title=Documents regarding the election results and proceedings of Executive Council |date=31 May 1967 |pages=20 |access-date= 16 June 2021}}
| class="wikitable sortable"
!# !Name !Role |
| 1
|Netuk Tsering |Executive Councillor |
| 2
|Bhim Bahadur Gurung |Executive Councillor |
| 3
|Executive Councillor |
| 4
|Nayan Tsering |Deputy Executive Councillor |
| 5
|Nima Tsering |Deputy Executive Councillor |
| 6
|Deputy Executive Councillor |
References
{{reflist}}
{{Sikkimese elections}}
Category:Election and referendum articles with incomplete results