Sikkim Democratic Front
{{short description|Political party in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox Indian Political Party
| party_name = Sikkim Democratic Front
|colorcode = {{party color|Sikkim Democratic Front}}
| party_logo = 200px
| president = Pawan Kumar Chamling
| secretary =
| ppchairman =
| loksabha_leader =
| rajyasabha_leader =
| foundation = {{Start date and years ago|df=yes|p=y|1993|03|04}}
| alliance =
National Democratic Alliance (2014-2019)
| loksabha_seats = {{Composition bar|0|543|hex={{party color|Sikkim Democratic Front}}}}
| rajyasabha_seats = {{Composition bar|0|245|hex={{party color|Sikkim Democratic Front}}}}
| state_seats_name = Sikkim Legislative Assembly
| state_seats = {{Composition bar|0|32|hex={{party color|Sikkim Democratic Front}}}}
| ideology =
| position =
| headquarters =S.D.F Bhawan, Indira Byepass Gangtok, Sikkim
| publication =
| symbol = 100px
| website =
}}
Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) is a regional political party in the Indian state of Sikkim. It was the ruling party in Sikkim from 12 December 1994 to 23 May 2019.
History
The party was founded by Pawan Kumar Chamling in 1993. It has ruled the Sikkim state from 1994 to 2019 with Pawan Kumar Chamling as the chief minister. The party consolidated its position sweeping the 1999 and 2004 state elections. It won 31 of the 32 assembly seats in the 2004 election.{{cite web |url=http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/ElectionStatistics.asp |title=Election Commission India |access-date=2010-10-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101005110118/http://eci.nic.in/eci_main/StatisticalReports/ElectionStatistics.asp |archive-date=5 October 2010 |df=dmy-all }} Election Commission of India - Sikkim Assembly Elections In the 2009 assembly election, the party made a clean sweep, winning all 32 seats. It also retained the lone Lok Sabha seat.http://ceosikkim.nic.in/Index.htm {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813085718/http://ceosikkim.nic.in/index.htm |date=13 August 2011 }} Election Results 2009 In 2014 assembly elections, SDF won 22 seats and retained power.
In May 2016, after the BJP led NDA formed its first government in Assam, a new alliance called the North-East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) was formed with BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma as its convener.{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/sikkim-cm-wants-bjp-chief-to-step-in/articleshow/60383450.cms|title=Sikkim CM wants BJP chief to step in|website=The Times of India|date=6 September 2017|archive-date=7 September 2017|access-date=7 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907025043/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/sikkim-cm-wants-bjp-chief-to-step-in/articleshow/60383450.cms|url-status=live}} The Chief Ministers of the north eastern states of Sikkim, Assam, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland too belong to this alliance. Thus, the Sikkim Democratic Front joined the NDA led NEDA.{{Cite web|url = http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/amit-shah-holds-meeting-with-northeast-cms-forms-alliance/story-YDYLQ6YsImuzZOQ6Zev5MO.html|title = Amit Shah holds meeting with northeast CMS, forms alliance|date = 25 May 2016|access-date = 25 May 2016|archive-date = 26 May 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160526061921/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/amit-shah-holds-meeting-with-northeast-cms-forms-alliance/story-YDYLQ6YsImuzZOQ6Zev5MO.html|url-status = live}}
Pawan Kumar Chamling resigned as CM after 2019 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election as former member Prem Singh Tamang's Sikkim Krantikari Morcha party formed the government by winning 17 seats out of 32. SDF party won the remaining 15 seats. But in August 2019, 10 MLAs quit his party to join the Bharatiya Janata Party and in the same month two other legislators joined Sikkim Krantikari Morcha. Thus making Pawan Kumar Chamling the only MLA of his party.[https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/bjp-now-main-opposition-party-in-sikkim-even-without-winning-a-single-seat/articleshow/70657139.cms?from=mdr BJP now main opposition party in Sikkim even without winning a single seat]{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/10-sdf-legislators-switch-over-to-bjp/story-qKcQJuqMqn2jbnoE1juggK.html |title=10 SDF legislators switch over to BJP |access-date=8 October 2019 |archive-date=8 October 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008081602/https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/10-sdf-legislators-switch-over-to-bjp/story-qKcQJuqMqn2jbnoE1juggK.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |url=https://www.firstpost.com/politics/ten-sdf-mlas-join-bjp-sikkim-may-be-headed-towards-arunachal-pradesh-route-as-mass-crossovers-leave-ex-cm-in-the-lurch-7165761.html |title=Ten SDF MLAs join BJP: Sikkim may be headed towards Arunachal Pradesh route, as mass crossovers leave ex-CM in the lurch |access-date=8 October 2019 |archive-date=1 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191201142130/https://www.firstpost.com/politics/ten-sdf-mlas-join-bjp-sikkim-may-be-headed-towards-arunachal-pradesh-route-as-mass-crossovers-leave-ex-cm-in-the-lurch-7165761.html |url-status=live }} The party won only 1 seat in the 2024 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election, with former CM Pawan Kumar Chamling losing the election from both the seats he contested. Later, its only MLA defected to Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, thus reducing its strength in the legislative assembly to zero.{{Cite news |last=PTI |date=2024-07-10 |title=Lone SDF MLA in Sikkim Assembly Tenzing Norbu Lamtha joins ruling SKM |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sikkim/lone-sdf-mla-in-sikkim-assembly-tenzing-norbu-lamtha-joins-ruling-skm/article68388258.ece |access-date=2024-07-10 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=28 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241128103349/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sikkim/lone-sdf-mla-in-sikkim-assembly-tenzing-norbu-lamtha-joins-ruling-skm/article68388258.ece |url-status=live }}
Frontal Organisation
- Youth Wing
- Student's Wing
- Women's Wing
- Labour Wing
- Cultivators and Organic Farmers Wing
- Ex-servicemen Wing
- Scheduled Tribe Welfare Wing
- Scheduled Caste Welfare Wing
- Drivers Wing
- Traders Wing
List of Chief Minister
| class="wikitable" |
| scope=col| №
!scope=col| Name !scope=col colspan=2| Term !scope=col| Tenure |
|---|
| align=center style="height: 60px;"
| 1 | Pawan Kumar Chamling | 12 December 1994 | 23 May 2019 |{{Age in years and days|1994|12|12|2019|5|23}} |
Electoral records
; Sikkim Legislative Assembly election
| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;" |
| Year
! Total Seats ! Seats Contested ! Seats Won ! Forfeited Deposits ! % Votes contested ! Source |
|---|
| 1996
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 72.15 |
| 1998
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 65.72 |
| 1999
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52.56 |
| 2004
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 69.84 |
| 2009
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 63.30 |
| 2014
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 52.98 |
| 2019
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43.92 |
| 2024
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20.05 |{{Cite web |date=5 June 2024 |title=Parliamentary Constituency 1 - Sikkim (Sikkim) |url=https://results.eci.gov.in/PcResultGenJune2024/ConstituencywiseS211.htm |access-date=21 July 2024 |website=Election Commission of India |archive-date=4 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240604120138/https://results.eci.gov.in/PcResultGenJune2024/ConstituencywiseS211.htm |url-status=live }} |
See also
External links
- [http://ceosikkim.nic.in/ Chief Electoral Officer, Sikkim]
- [https://sikkimassembly.org.in/ Sikkim Assembly, Sikkim]
References
{{reflist}}
{{North-East Democratic Alliance}}
{{Indian political parties}}
Category:Political parties in Sikkim