ECI Provides Relief to Sikkim CM in Corruption Case, Allows to Contest in Bye-Polls

Gangtok, September 30, 2019:

Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, aka PS Golay has received a major relief from the Election Commission of India (ECI), allowing him to contest in the upcoming state elections.

The Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) had defeated the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) in the Assembly elections in April this year, following which, Tamang was appointed as the CM on May 27. He needed to be elected within six months of assuming office.

The ECI’s decision to allow him to contest comes as a relief to the CM as without it, he would have had to resign from the chief ministerial post.

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It may be mentioned here that earlier, Tamang was barred from the upcoming elections after he was found guilty of malappropriation of funds during his term as Minister of animal husbandry during 1996-97.

He was convicted in the corruption case and jailed for a year in 2017.

Tamang had appealed the ECI to waive off the period of disqualification, which was supposed to end on August 10, 2024. He had requested for the waiver under Section 11 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

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ECI, on the basis of the CM’s request, reduced the period and according to that, Tamang’s disqualification ended on September 10.

ECI’s decision has granted Tamang enough time to contest the elections before the deadline ends.

For the bye-elections, to be held on October 21, SKM and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have joined hands. The BJP plans to contest two seats and Tamang will be contesting from the one allotted to his party, SKM.

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