SK-CAMPAIGN-END

Campaigning ends for simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha polls
in Sikkim
    Gangtok, Apr 9 (PTI) Campaigning for simultaneous
polls to 32 Assembly seats as well as the lone Lok Sabha seat
in Sikkim ended at 5 pm on Tuesday.
    The polling will be held on April 11 next.
    Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) president and chief
minister Pawan Kumar Chamling addressed an impressive 'Vijay
Sankalp Rally' at Jorethang in his native district, South
Sikkim where he extorted the gathering to return his party to
power for a sixth successive term to ensure peace and security
in Sikkim.
    The opposition Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM)
president P S Golay and Hamro Sikkim Party (HSP) working
president Bhaichung Bhutia also held election meetings to wind
up two-week long campaigning.
    While the SDF and HSP have promised to implement the
Universal Basic Income to all people in Sikkim, the SKM has
pledged to provide government jobs to all unemployed people
within 100 days of the party coming to power.
    Those who could not be given given government jobs
immediately will get a subsistence allowance of Rs 10,000 per
month till for the time being.
    There are 150 candidates in fray on 32 Assembly seats,
while a total of eleven candidates are in contest on the lone
Lok Sabha seat in Sikkim
    Among prominent candidates, Chamling, who is seeking a
record eighth successive term as an MLA, is contesting from
two assembly seats - Poklok-Kamrang and Namchi-Singhithang,
Bhaichung Bhutia has entered into fray from two assembly seats
as well, including Gangtok, reserved seat for the indigenous
Bhutia-Lepcha communities.
    There are 4,32,306 voters comprising 2,20,305 male and
2,12,001 female.
    Of the total voters in Sikkim, 30,480 are first-time
voters, while 2,042 voters have registered themselves as the
People with Disabilities (PWD) Sikkim's Chief Electoral
Officer (CEO) Ravindra Telang told reporters.
    There will be a total of 567 polling stations in
Sikkim of which 120 have been identified as critical polling
stations to be manned by the Centre Para Military forces on
the polling day, the CEO said.
    He said that 3,600 polling personnel and 4,000
security men, including 10 companies of SSB, have been
deployed for the polling on April 11 next. PTI KDK
RG RG