Pakyong, 16 April : In the Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections, most of the candidates standing are millionaires.
The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Sikkim Election Watch have analyzed the election affidavits of all 146 candidates contesting the Sikkim 2024 Legislative Assembly elections.
Among the analyzed 146 candidates, 43 are from national parties, 64 from regional parties, 31 from registered unrecognized parties, and eight are independent candidates. Out of these 146 candidates, 102 (70 percent) are millionaires.
In the 2019 Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections, out of 150 candidates, 64 (43 percent) were millionaires. It is evident that wealth plays a significant role in elections, and all major political parties field wealthy candidates.
Among the major parties, as per the affidavits filed by candidates of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), out of 32 candidates, 31 (97 percent) are millionaires, while out of 32 candidates analyzed from the Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF), 28 (88 percent) are millionaires. From the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), 21 (68 percent) out of 31 candidates are millionaires, from the Citizen Action Party 17 (57 percent) out of 30 candidates, and from the Citizen Action Party, 17 (57 percent) out of 30 candidates are millionaires, while out of eight independent candidates, five (63 percent) have declared assets worth more than one crore rupees.
Delay Namgyal Barfungpa of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha holds the highest wealth of 137 crore rupees, followed by Bhaichung Bhutia of the Sikkim Democratic Front with 127 crore rupees.
The average increase in assets of the 19 legislators contesting again between the 2019 and 2024 Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections is 8.61 crore rupees. There has been a significant increase of 2,950 percent in the wealth of Kunga Nima Lepcha from Sikkim Krantikari Morcha contesting from the Syari constituency since 2019. Their source of income is salary and pension. Similarly, the assets of Sanjeet Kharel, a candidate of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha from Namthang Rateypani, have increased by 709 percent since 2019. Their source of income is salary.
In the analysis of the 146 candidates in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections 2024, 8 (5 percent) candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. Whereas in the 2019 Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections, out of 150 candidates analyzed, 4 (3 percent) had declared criminal cases against themselves.
Candidates with serious criminal cases: 6 (4 percent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves. In the 2019 Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections, 4 (3 percent) candidates had declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
Party-wise candidates with criminal cases: As per the affidavits, out of 32 candidates of the Sikkim Democratic Front, 2 (6 percent), out of 32 candidates of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, 2 (6 percent), out of 30 candidates of the Sikkim Action Party, 2 (7 percent), and out of 8 independent candidates, 2 (25 percent) have declared criminal cases against themselves.
Party-wise candidates with serious criminal cases: Out of 32 candidates of the Sikkim Democratic Front, 2 (6 percent), out of 32 candidates of the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha, 2 (6 percent), and out of 30 candidates of the Citizen Action Party, 2 (7 percent) have declared serious criminal cases against themselves.
Regarding candidates’ educational qualifications, 60 (41 percent) candidates have declared their educational qualification between 5th and 12th grade, while in terms of gender details of candidates, 14 (10 percent) female candidates are contesting in the Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections 2024. In the 2019 Sikkim Legislative Assembly elections, out of 150 candidates analyzed, there were 14 (9 percent) female candidates.
