After the joining of ten legislators of Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) party in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), two more SDF legislators have joined the ruling Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) party here on Wednesday.
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Upper Tadong MLA, G T Dhungel and Namcheybong MLA, Em Prasad Sharma have officially joined SKM party in the presence of SKM president, the chief minister P S Golay.
With this, SKM now has 18 MLAs in the State Assembly, while SDF has the party president and former chief minister, Pawan Chamling only in the Assembly.
Addressing a press conference in Gangtok on Wednesday, Namcheybong MLA, Sharma expressed that the regional party can only work effectively for the State and its people by properly understanding the regional sentiment.
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On the same, he said, “We are here to work for the people, so we have joined the regional SKM party in the interest of Sikkim and its people.”
He mentioned that the people of Sikkim gave the responsibility of a strong opposition to SDF party in this election.
“We were ready to deliver our role of opposition in the State so we even participated the recent Assembly session. We even went against the decision of senior leaders of SDF party to join the national party as we wanted to work for the people effectively with regional sentiments,” Sharma said.
Likewise, Upper Tadong MLA, Dhungel mentioned that 10 SDF MLAs joined a national party so they decided to work for the people by joining the ruling party to work for the people.
Speaking about the reason to join SKM, he expressed that the people of Sikkim were always near and close to the regional party and only the regional party can understand the local sentiments and work effectively for the people.
He further said that they had asked for the separate bench in the Assembly in the recently session just to work for the people.
“With mass exodus of SDF MLAs to BJP, we decided to work for the people by sitting in the regional party by respecting their mandate,” he said.
Dhungel stated that the regional party can deal with the regional sentiments and thoughts more effectively.
Responding to media queries, Sharma said, “We wanted to work for the people as a strong opposition but joining of 10 MLAs in BJP has left no option for us so we decided to work with the ruling party for the people.”
SKM spokesperson, Jacob Khaling stated that BJP was a national party and a regional party always works in coordination and harmony with the national party in the power in the federal system.
“We are working with BJP for the people of Sikkim but the joining of 10 MLAs of SDF party in BJP is just to save themselves,” he said.
He alleged that few MLAs of SDF were into rampant corruption so they have joined the national party just to save themselves.
He alleged that SDF party was very expert in playing foul game and this time the people will give them the red card.
They added that the joining of 10 MLAs in BJP was not the individual choice but the plan of SDF party.
Responding to queries on upcoming by-elections in the State, Mr Khaling stated that the move of 10 SDF MLAs has increased the winning margin of SKM party to greater extend in the by-election.
He added that there was no any challenge for the party and SKM would win the bye-election with greater margin.