1974 Sikkimese general election explained

Country:	Kingdom of Sikkim
Variant:	1967
Type:	legislative
Previous Election:	1973 Sikkimese general election
Previous Year:	1973
Next Election:	1979 Sikkim Legislative Assembly election
Next Year:	1979
Election Date:	13 April 1974
Seats For Election:	All 32 seats in the State Council
Majority Seats:	17
Party1:	Sikkim National Congress
Image1:	Kazi Lhendup Dorjee .jpg
Leader1:	Kazi Lhendup Dorjee
Leaders Seat1:	Tashiding
Last Election1:	5
Seats1:	31
Seat Change1:	26
Party2:	Sikkim National Party
Last Election2:	9
Seats2:	1
Seat Change2:	8
CM
After Election:	Kazi Lhendup Dorjee
After Party:	Sikkim National Congress

General elections were held in Sikkim on 13 April 1974. They were the first elections in Sikkim to be held on the basis of universal suffrage, and also the last prior to Indian annexation.^[1] The result was a victory for the Sikkim National Congress, which won 31 of the 32 seats in the State Council. Kazi Lhendup Dorjee subsequently became Chief Minister.^[2] In May 1975 Sikkim became a state of India,^[3] at which point the State Council became the Sikkim Legislative Assembly.^[4]

Background

In the 1973 elections the Sikkim National Party won nine seats out of eighteen elected seats in the 24-seat Sikkim State Council.^[5] The Sikkim National Congress and Sikkim Janata Congress claimed there had been vote rigging, leading to protests. Political parties and members of the public demanded one man, one vote. On 8 May 1973 a tripartite agreement was signed between the Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal, political parties and the government of India. The agreement provided for the establishment of a responsible government under the supervision of a Chief Executive nominated by the Indian government.^{[6] [7]}

Electoral system

Through the Representations of Sikkim Subjects Act, 1974, the Chogyal divided Sikkim into 31 territorial constituencies and one Sangha constituency. The 31 territorial constituencies were allocated as 15 for Nepalis, 15 for the Bhutia-Lepcha and one for scheduled castes, under a parity formula. The Sangha constituency represented Chogyal-recognized monasteries.^[8]

Campaign

The Sikkim National Congress contested all the 32 seats, whilst the Sikkim National Party contested five seats. Elections were held with the support of Election Commission of India.^[9]

Results

Constituency-wise

	Constituency	Reserved for^[10]	Winner	Party^[11]
1	Yoksam	BL	Degay Bhutia		Sikkim National Congress
2	Tashiding		Kazi Lhendup Dorjee
3	Geyzing	Nepalis	Kumari Hemlata Chettri
4	Dentam		Narbahadur Khatiwada
5	Barmiok		Nanda Kumar Subedi
6	Rinchenpong	BL	Nayen Tshering Lepcha
7	Chakung	Nepalis	B. B. Gurung
8	Soreong		Chatur Singh Rai
9	Daramdin		Krishna Bahadur Limboo
10	Jorethang-Nayabazar		Krishna Chandra Pradhan
11	Ralang	BL	Passang Tshering Bhutia
12	Wak		Adar Singh Lepcha
13	Damthang	Nepalis	Ratna Bijay Rai
14	Melli		Nanda Bahadur Rai
15	Rateypani West		Pendam Bhuwani Prasad Kharel
16	Temi-Tarku		Badri Nath Pradhan
17	Central Pendam-East Pendam		Kehar Singh Karki
18	Rhenock		Bhawani Prasad Dahal
19	Regu		Mohan Gurung
20	Pathing	BL	Sonpom Lepcha
21	Loosing-Pachekhani	Nepalis	R. C. Poudyal
22	Khamdong	SC	Kusu Das
23	Djongu	BL	Loden Tsering Lepcha
24	Lachen-Mangshila		Tasa Tengay Lepcha
25	Kabi-Tingda		Kalzang Gyatso Bhutia		Sikkim National Party^[12]
26	Rakdong-Tentek		Rinzing Tongden Lepcha		Sikkim National Congress
27	Martam		Shepochung Bhutia
28	Rumtek		Phigu Tshering Bhutia
29	Assam-Lingjey		Dugo Bhutia
30	Ranka		Nim Tshering Lepcha
31	Gangtok		Dorjee Tshering Bhutia
32	Sangha	Sangha	Karma Gonpo Lama
Source: Sikkim Darbar Gazette^[13]

Council of Ministers

The Chogyal appointed the Council of Ministers on 23 July.^{[14] [15]}

Name	Role
Kazi Lhendup Dorjee	Chief Minister
Rinzing Tongden Lepcha	Minister
Bhawani Prasad Dahal
Dorjee Tshering Bhutia
Krishna Chandra Pradhan

Notes and References

1. Verdict in Sikkim. Economic and Political Weekly. 27 Oct 1979. 14. 42/43. 1737 - 1738. 4368050.
2. http://www.sikkimassembly.org/sikkim_legislative_assembly.html Sikkim Legislative Assembly: An overview
3. Gupta. Ranjan. Sikkim: The Merger with India. Asian Survey. Sep 1975. 15. 9. 786 - 798. 2643174. 10.2307/2643174.
4. Web site: The Constitution (Thirty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1975 . www.india.gov.in . ... the Assembly for Sikkim formed as a result of the elections held in Sikkim in April, 1974 ... shall be deemed to be the Legislative Assembly of the State of Sikkim.
5. Web site: AC Sinha . 2014-09-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140219074152/http://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Download/Jrp/pdf/133_10.pdf . 2014-02-19 . dead .
6. Web site: R.C. Poudyal and ANR. Vs. Union of India and ORS. . "It further recited that the Chogyal as well as the representative of the people had requested the Government of India to assume responsibility ... to provide the head of the administration described as Chief Executive to help and achieve the State’s objectives. ... The Chief Executive was to be nominated by the Government of India" . Supreme Court of India . 10 February 1993. 20 January 2021.
7. Web site: How Sikkim became a part of India . The Pioneer . 4 November 2018 . 3 February 2021 . "This agreement had significantly curtailed the powers of the Chogyal and laid the grounds for holding fresh elections in April 1974 under the aegis of the Election Commission of India (ECI)".
8. Book: Bareh. Hamlet. Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim. 2001. Mittal Publications. New Delhi. 81-7099-794-1. 44.
9. Bareh, p. 18
10. Web site: Delimitation of Constituencies, 1974 . 5 February 1974 . 32–34, 45 . 15 June 2021.
11. Web site: List of contesting candidates, 1974 . 11 March 1974 . 54–55, 68 . 15 June 2021.
12. Monarchy to Democracy Understanding Political Development in Sikkim, 1970-1994 . July 2019 . Pem Choden Tenzing . 17 June 2021 . 147. ...Sikkim Congress Party and the Sikkim National Party would be the two parties to be given reserved symbols, the ladder with seven strings and the Swastika respectively..
13. Web site: General Election to Sikkim Assembly, 1974 . 20 April 1974 . 70–71 . 15 June 2021.
14. Web site: Notification No 37/SC . 108 . 1 July 2021.
15. Web site: Sikkim Darbar Gazette . 1 July 2021.