Trouble In Hills: BJP’s Sikkim Alliance Hits Rough Patch

| Updated: 13 May, 2022 1:52 pm IST
PM Narendra Modi with Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang

GANGTOK: Troubles are brewing in the hills of Sikkim as the alliance troubles between ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) take centre stage in the state.

Two years since the ruling SKM joined the BJP led National Democratic Alliance in 2019, there is a buzz in the state political circles with state BJP members making their intentions clear about joining the ruling cabinet.

In September 2021, BJP Sikkim incharge and MP Sukanta Majumder had said that the party had conveyed this wish to Chief Minister Golay and SKM party.

However, with little change happening in the front, the BJP-SKM alliance looked under strain since last year when BJP MLA and its senior-most leader DT Lepcha called the alliance “undignified”. Speaking to the media last December, Lepcha had some strong words against the ruling SKM govt.

“SKM is running the government in Sikkim only because of the BJP. If the 10 of us had not joined BJP, PS Golay would probably not have been CM. 10 BJP MLAs played a crucial role in helping him win the 2019 bye-elections,” Lepcha had said.

In October last year, BJP state president DB Chauhan resigned from the post of Advisor to the forest department.

In recent times, BJP Sikkim had criticised the state government for delay in registering an FIR on the multi crore MCX scam. The party, during a press meeting on Wednesday, stated that it “strongly demands CBI in Sikkim and for freehand open investigations into these types of scams”.

Meanwhile, ruling SKM leaders are tight-lipped about alliance woes and have chosen not to speak on the issue. Party insiders however are keeping a close watch and have said that the matter is sensitive.

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