1974 Sikkimese general election

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 as an independent country.[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]

1974 Sikkimese general election
13 April 1974
32 seats in the Sikkim State Council
17 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party Minority party
 
Leader Kazi Lhendup Dorjee
Party SNC SNP
Leader's seat Tashiding
Last election 5 9
Seats won 31 1
Seat change Increase 26 Decrease 8
Elected Chief Minister

Kazi Lhendup Dorjee
SNC

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
PartySeats+/–
Sikkim National Congress31+26
Sikkim National Party1–8
Total32+8
Source: Sikkim Assembly Website[10]

Constituency-wise
# Constituency Reserved
for[11]		 Winner Party[12]
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 Tsering 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 Kharcl
16 Temi-Tarku Badri Nath Pradhan
17 Central Pendam-East Pendam Kehar Singh Karki
18 Rhenock Bhawani Prasad Dahat
19 Regu Mohan Guru
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[13]
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[14]

Council of Ministers

The Chogyal appointed the Council of Ministers on 23 July.[15][16]

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

References
  1. "Verdict in Sikkim". Economic and Political Weekly. 14 (42/43): 1737–1738. 27 October 1979. JSTOR 4368050.
  2. Sikkim Legislative Assembly: An overview Archived 21 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine Sikkim Assembly
  3. Gupta, Ranjan (September 1975). "Sikkim: The Merger with India". Asian Survey. 15 (9): 786–798. doi:10.2307/2643174. JSTOR 2643174.
  4. "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. "AC Sinha" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 February 2014. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  6. "R.C. Poudyal and ANR. Vs. Union of India and ORS" (PDF). Supreme Court of India. 10 February 1993. Retrieved 20 January 2021. 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
  7. "How Sikkim became a part of India". The Pioneer. 4 November 2018. Retrieved 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. Bareh, Hamlet (2001). Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim. New Delhi: Mittal Publications. p. 44. ISBN 81-7099-794-1.
  9. Bareh, p. 18
  10. "Sikkim Legislative Assembly". Archived from the original on 21 September 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2022. The First Sikkim Assembly formed through the election held in 1974 with 32 members is deemed to be the First Legislative Assembly of Sikkim ... Sikkim Congress led by Kazi Lhendup Dorjee won 31 seats and one seat went in favour of Sikkim National Party.
  11. "Delimitation of Constituencies, 1974". 5 February 1974. pp. 32–34, 45. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  12. "List of contesting candidates, 1974". 11 March 1974. pp. 54–55, 68. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  13. Pem Choden Tenzing (July 2019). Monarchy to Democracy Understanding Political Development in Sikkim, 1970-1994 (Thesis). p. 147. Retrieved 17 June 2021. ...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.
  14. "General Election to Sikkim Assembly, 1974". 20 April 1974. pp. 70–71. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  15. "Notification No 37/SC". p. 108. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  16. "Sikkim Darbar Gazette". Retrieved 1 July 2021.
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