List of constituencies of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly
Sikkim Legislative Assembly | |
|---|---|
| 11th Sikkim Assembly | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | 5 years |
| Established | 1974 |
| Seats | 32 |
| Elections | |
| First past the post | |
Last election | April 2024 |
Next election | April 2029 |
| Meeting place | |
| Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Gangtok, Sikkim, India | |
| Website | |
| Sikkim Legislative Assembly | |
The Sikkim Legislative Assembly is the unicameral legislature of the state of Sikkim, in Northeast India. The seat of the Legislative Assembly is at Gangtok, the capital of the state. The assembly sits for a term of five years, unless it is dissolved earlier.[1] Sikkim is the second-smallest state in India, covering 7,096 km2 (2,740 sq mi); which accounts for 0.2 per cent of the total area of India.[2] The current population of Sikkim is 6.32 lakhs, making it the least populous state in India.[3] Established in 1975, the Sikkim Legislative Assembly consists of 32 members elected directly from territorial constituencies using the First-past-the-post system.[4]
Since the independence of India, the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) have been given Reservation status, guaranteeing political representation, and the Constitution lays down the general principles of positive discrimination for SCs and STs.[5]: 35, 137 [6] Two constituencies (West Pendam and Salghari–Zoom) are reserved for people of the Scheduled Castes (SC).[7] One constituency (Sangha) is reserved for registered Buddhist monks and nuns from the state's monasteries.[8] Twelve constituencies are reserved for people of the Bhutia-Lepcha (BL) community.[9] Seventeen seats are kept open to be contested by Nepalis and other residents of Sikkim.[10]
History
[edit]Sikkim became the 22nd state of India through the 36th Amendment of the Indian Constitution in 1975.[11] The Act stipulates that the Legislative Assembly of Sikkim shall consist of no fewer than thirty-two members. The first assembly election was held in April 1974, with 32 members elected. 15 out of the 32 seats were allocated to Nepalese of Sikkimese origin, and one seat was reserved for Sangha. The Sikkim National Congress, under the leadership of Kazi Lhendup Dorjee, secured 31 seats, while the Sikkim National Party won a single seat.[12] Dorjee was chosen as the leader of the House and became Sikkim's first Chief Minister.[13]
In 1979, the second assembly was established, and the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act, 1979, was introduced. The Bill proposed reserving 37 percent of assembly seats for the 22 percent minority Bhutia-Lepcha communities and 53 percent as general seats for the more than 70 percent Nepali population and others. Considering the numerical strength of Bhutias and Lepchas (B-L), which was 22 percent of the population during the introduction of the seat reservation Bill in 1979, the anticipated reservation for B-Ls in the Legislative Assembly was 6 or 7 seats instead of 12.[10] The Act subsequently removed the reserved seats for Nepalese of Sikkimese origin.[14] The new allocation included twelve reserved seats for Bhutia-Lepcha, two seats for Scheduled Castes, one seat for Sangha, and the remaining 17 seats were designated as general seats.[13] The third assembly was constituted in March 1985, followed by the fourth assembly in 1989, where the Sikkim Sangram Parishad won all 32 seats.[15]
| Year | Details | Constituencies | Seats | Elections | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepali | BL | Others | Appointed | Total | ||||
| 1952 | Elections announced for a new State Council with 12 (out of 18) elected members | 4 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 18 | 1953 |
| 1958 | Seats increased to 20[16] | 4 | 6 | 6 | 2 (Sangha, General) | 6 | 20 | 1958 |
| 1966 | Representation of Sikkim Subjects Regulation, 1966[17] Constituencies increased to 5, 2 additional general seats added |
5 | 7 | 7 | 4 (Sangha, Tsong, SC, General) |
6 | 24 | 1967 1970 1973 |
| 1974 | The Government of Sikkim Act, 1974[18] Multi-seat constituencies eliminated |
32 | 15 | 15 | 2 (Sangha, SC) | 0 | 32 | 1974 |
Constituencies
[edit]
The following is a list of the constituencies of the Sikkim. Since 1979 after its integration with India, the total number of seats in the assembly is 32, including one seat reserved for the Sangha.[19]
Reservation
| No. | Name | Reserved for (SC/BL/None) |
District[20] | Lok Sabha constituency |
Electors (2024)[21] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yoksam–Tashiding | BL | Gyalshing | Sikkim | 15,524 |
| 2 | Yangthang | None | 14,121 | ||
| 3 | Maneybong–Dentam | 16,403 | |||
| 4 | Gyalshing–Barnyak | 13,683 | |||
| 5 | Rinchenpong | BL | Soreng[22] | 16,024 | |
| 6 | Daramdin | 16,404 | |||
| 7 | Soreng–Chakung | None | 16,740 | ||
| 8 | Salghari–Zoom | SC | 11,694 | ||
| 9 | Barfung | BL | Namchi | 15,980 | |
| 10 | Poklok–Kamrang | None | 16,870 | ||
| 11 | Namchi–Singhithang | 13,251 | |||
| 12 | Melli | 16,029 | |||
| 13 | Namthang–Rateypani | 16,455 | |||
| 14 | Temi–Namphing | 15,465 | |||
| 15 | Rangang–Yangang | 15,261 | |||
| 16 | Tumin–Lingee | BL | 16,767 | ||
| 17 | Khamdong–Singtam | None | Gangtok | 14,428 | |
| 18 | West Pendam | SC | Pakyong[23] | 15,880 | |
| 19 | Rhenock | None | 18,356 | ||
| 20 | Chujachen | 18,749 | |||
| 21 | Gnathang–Machong | BL | 12,965 | ||
| 22 | Namchaybong | None | 16,397 | ||
| 23 | Shyari | BL | Gangtok | 16,196 | |
| 24 | Martam–Rumtek | 17,844 | |||
| 25 | Upper Tadong | None | 12,228 | ||
| 26 | Arithang | 12,602 | |||
| 27 | Gangtok | BL | 11,881 | ||
| 28 | Upper Burtuk | None | 16,236 | ||
| 29 | Kabi–Lungchok | BL | Mangan | 13,209 | |
| 30 | Djongu | 10,523 | |||
| 31 | Lachen–Mangan | 8,404 | |||
| 32 | Sangha | Sangha[24] | Buddhist Monasteries | 4,074 |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Data, Charts and Analysis". The Mirrority. 1 January 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "The States". Know India: National Portal of India. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "Government of Sikkim, India". Government of Sikkim, India. 16 May 1975. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "Address To The Members Of The Sikkim Legislative Assembly, Gangtok". President of India. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "The Constitution of India [As on 9th December, 2020]" (PDF). Legislative Department. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 November 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
- ^ Kumar, K Shiva (17 February 2020). "Reserved uncertainty or deserved certainty? Reservation debate back in Mysuru". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 21 November 2021. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ Singh, Vijaita (23 November 2017). "More seats for Sikkim Assembly". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ The Hindu Bureau (28 March 2024). "Sangha: A Sikkim Assembly constituency not found in maps". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "Sikkim CM will convert seats reserved for Bhutia-Lepcha community to SC if re-elected: Chamling". The Hindu. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Seat Reservation In The Legislative Assembly Of Sikkim:". Sikkimexpress. 25 December 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "Government of Sikkim, India". Government of Sikkim, India. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ Jha, Prabhakar (2 June 2024). "Sikkim delivers another landslide verdict: SKM joins elite club". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Government of Sikkim, India". Government of Sikkim, India. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "RC Paudyal, a man with rare Oomph". Sikkimexpress (in Hindi). 8 August 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ Ahmed, Fakzand (7 November 2013). "Nar Bahadur Bhandari lead his party to a sweep of all the 32 seats in Sikkim". India Today. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ Tashi Namgyal (16 March 1958). "Proclamation of His Highness Sir Tashi Namgyal, KCSI, KCIE, Maharaja of Sikkim, Dated the 16th March, 1958" (PDF). p. 102. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2023. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
- ^ Palden Thondup Namgyal (21 December 1966). "Representation of Sikkim Subjects Regulation, 1966". pp. 117–119. Archived from the original on 27 June 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "The Government of Sikkim Act, 1974". 6 July 1974. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ "List of constituencies". ceosikkim.nic.in. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ "Sikkim gets two new districts, remaining four renamed". NORTHEAST NOW. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ "CEOSikkim". CEOSikkim (in Kinyarwanda). Retrieved 15 November 2024.
- ^ "Soreng district status will cater to growing population, administrative needs of four constituencies: Aditya". Sikkimexpress. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2023.
- ^ Pankaj Dhungel (21 June 2021). "3 sub-divisions of East Sikkim to form Sikkim's newest district Pakyong". East Mojo. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ Shiv Sahay Singh (4 April 2019). "32-Sangha constituency: Sikkim's intangible seat, where only monks contest and vote". The Hindu. Retrieved 3 January 2021.