SKM sweeps to power in Sikkim, wins 31 of 32 seats
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Gangtok/Itanagar: The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) on Sunday returned to power by sweeping the assembly polls in the Himalayan state, winning 31 of the 32 seats, according to the Election Commission.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP returned to power for the third time in a row, as the party won 46 seats in the 60-member assembly and secured a majority.
Elections to the Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh Assemblies were held simultaneously with the Lok Sabha polls on April 19. The counting began at 6 am amid tight security.
The SKM, led by Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, had won 17 seats in 2019 and unseated the SDF which ruled the state for 25 years in a row.
Tamang won the Rhenock assembly seat by defeating SDF's Som Nath Poudyal by 7,044 votes. Samdup Lepcha of SKM won the Lachen Mangan Assembly seat defeating his nearest SDF rival Hishey Lachungpa by 851 votes.
"It is because of the love and trust of the people which we have managed to secure in the past five years in government. Besides, party cadres worked very hard. Now we have the next five years to give our 100 per cent for the people of Sikkim," he told a gathering in Paljor Stadium in Gangtok, NDTV reported.
In Arunachal Pradesh, the BJP has won 10 seats of the 60-seat assembly uncontested. Votes were counted for 50 assembly segments on Sunday. Of the 50 seats, the BJP secured 36 seats and Chief Minister Pema Khandu is one of the 10 candidates who won unopposed. The saffron party had won 41 seats in 2019.
The National People's Party (NPP) bagged five seats, while the People's Party of Arunachal won two seats and the NCP secured three. The Congress won one seat, and Independent candidates emerged victorious in three constituencies.
(With PTI inputs)